a good scrubbing

I had one chore to do in Indianapolis as we passed through town on our way from Michigan to California.  I wanted to clean my grandparents’ headstones. 

All my grandparents are buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, one of the largest and loveliest cemeteries in the Midwest…555 wooded acres, with the tallest hill in Marion County as its “crown”.  Winding avenues can make it a challenge to locate my Wagner family ancestors, although in recent years I’ve found landmarks to guide my way.  Nevertheless, I have to make a couple of wrong turns every time I visit. 

There used to be a large tree providing shade for the family plot.  On a pre-pandemic visit I noticed that the tree was dying.  When I returned post-pandemic, the tree was gone.  I’m not sure if it fell or was removed, but for the first time I observed how dismally stained my grandparents’ headstone looked.  It was as if it had been covered for too long by damp branches and leaves.  I resolved that this year, before I left the Midwest, I would clean it.

I researched and found a product made for cleaning granite headstones.  On our first afternoon on the road, my husband and I gave it a good scrubbing.  I won’t say it glistened, but it was an improvement. 

I’m not sure anyone will notice…None of my family lives anywhere near Indianapolis.  If someone does stop by, I hope he or she will leave a small stone as I have.  

Love, Liz 

“To the one who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.”                   Revelation 2:17