Till death do us part. A phrase taken from the traditional marriage vows.
Birth and death dates are the most common dates inscribed on tombstones and marriage dates are the third most commonly inscribed dates. A couple’s marriage date is often inscribed on their tombstone with a marriage symbol.
In the 19th century it was not uncommon for a husband and wife to have separate tombstones and often times they were not even buried next to each other. A common marriage inscription on old marble tombstones was two clasped hands. Although they usually signify marriage, clasped hands may have other meanings, usually depending on the cuffs.
Clasped hands, Greenlawn Cemetery, Wapakoneta, Ohio
This tombstone simply states wife and husband:
Greenbriar Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.
Today most couples are buried side-by-side and share a tombstone. A marriage date is often inscribed on a couple’s shared tombstone.
Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, Ohio.
One of the most common tombstone marriage symbols is a pair of wedding rings, in a variety of styles:
Decatur Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana.
Decatur Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana.
Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana.
Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, Ohio.
The wedding cross, a cross with intertwined wedding bands:
Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Adams County, Indiana.
Riverside Cemetery, Rockford, Ohio.
Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.
Another version of the wedding cross, with the Greek letter rho, similar to the Chi-Rho cross:
Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.
Here are a few other nice tombstone marriage inscriptions:
Willshire Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.
Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.
Willshire Cemetery, Van Wert County, Ohio.
Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.
I really like the following verse:
Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm, Ohio.
