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04 Nov Fall 2015 Newsletter

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Address:

P.O. Box 15065
Syracuse, NY 13215

Phone:
(315) 415-2954

Email:
HOCPAOakwood@gmail.com

Grief is a state of profound emotional turmoil cau

Grief is a state of profound emotional turmoil caused by loss, usually of a loved one. This is a universal human experience, possibly felt by other animals. Dramatizations of varying degrees of grief often appear in both pictorial and literary art (most notably Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”). Appropriately, symbols of grief are also seen in mortuary art, from early scenes of mourning in Egyptian tombs to 19th century European cemetery statuary.
Photographer David Robinson in his book, “Saving Graces”, has identified four general types of grief sculpture. The first depicts a woman overcome, distraught, and essentially collapsing. In Paris cemeteries, these women are so overwhelmed, sometimes their clothes are falling off. We have nothing so dramatic in Oakwood cemetery, however, in Section B we do have a rendition of the “Weeping Angel of Grief Over the Dismantled Altar of Life”, by William Story. The original was created in 1894 for the artist’s wife, Emeline Story, who is buried in Rome, Italy.
The second type is that of a woman reaching upward, barefoot and disheveled, futilely asking for the return of her loved one. In section 3, there is a version gazing into the heavens raised by Margaret Smith in homage to her sister Jane Redfield. The words “Heavenly Father” appear in Bronze letters affixed to the stone near the model’s right foot.
The third type is more self contained and solemn in grief. The Charles Crouse mausoleum in Section 56 features a bronze door cast in the figure of a woman by artist Stina Gustafson. Her head is bowed in a posture of mourning and her hands are placed on the sealed door, making one last attempt to contact the loved one.
The fourth version is a resigned, calmer, and more accepting figure. One such example is the Niver monument in Section 36. This high relief androgynous angel is gazing quietly into the distance, thoughts turned inward, loosely holding flowers of mourning. The base is decorated with Poppies, symbol of peaceful sleep.
From the time of Plato, it was unseemly for men to show strong emotions. As these examples illustrate, feminized figures, either human or angelic, are by far the designated grievers.

Yellowwood starting to bloom in the cemetery! Phot

Yellowwood starting to bloom in the cemetery! Photos by @rjnale.

Happy Memorial Day. If you’re in Oakwood Cemet

Happy Memorial Day.

If you’re in Oakwood Cemetery today, you’ll notice flags on some of the many Veterans in the cemetery. They were placed here last Thursday by HOCPA boards members.

The statue you see above stands watches over the graves in the G.A.R. Plot - home of 231 Civil War Veterans. In total, more than 800 Civil War Veterans are buried throughout Oakwood. We remember them and all Veterans today. 🇺🇸

“When a fellow is allowed to hold hands with an

“When a fellow is allowed to hold hands with an American girl, well, there is some cause for wanting to live.” Uttered by Corp. James Lape (1893-1954) from the Base Hospital in Vichy France, where he was thankful for the attention of the American Red Cross nurses who cared for him. Wounded in the head and neck by a German gas shell that exploded near him on July 3, 1918, he was treated at a specialized Base Hospital by Nurse Ethel A. Wilbur. As part of his rehabilitation, he worked on pencil drawings about his experiences both in the service and in the hospital. Entitled “Sketches of the War” it is believed to have been done entirely during his stay. When finished it was donated to the nursing staff there and left in the hands of Nurse Wilbur for 60 years. Discovered in her personal belongings 30 years after her death, it was returned to the family with the help of genealogists and was destined for the Onondaga Historical Association. The pictures with this article are several of the pages from the sketchbook. If you would like to see the entire book follow this link: https://www.fold3.com/image/219818985 James returned to Syracuse in 1919 and married the love of his life, Elma Hodges on February 3, 1926, becoming a supervisor for the Carrier Corporation. He is buried in Section B lot 159 with his parents, while Elma is buried in Section 54 lot 69 with her parents.

The HOCPA Events Committee is seeking volunteers!

The HOCPA Events Committee is seeking volunteers! Opportunities are available to get involved in all different aspects of our operations.

Please reach out if interested and we will talk specifics. Email us at HOCPAoakwood@gmail.com. 🪦

Don’t forget our first tour of 2023 is this Sund

Don’t forget our first tour of 2023 is this Sunday at 2pm. Plan on 2 hours for the tour. There is no cost (donations accepted and encouraged) and no need to rsvp. These tours are presented by HOCPA board members and made possible thanks to the support of Oakwood Management. 🪦

May 21 – Section B – Join Diane Medvitz to hear some of the stories the residents of Section B have to tell. Along with Diane will be Holly Koenig who will describe some of this section’s most interesting monuments.

Enter at the Comstock gate and follow the signs to meet up with the group!

Most people don’t go to their bookshelves lookin

Most people don’t go to their bookshelves looking for a good book on cemeteries, yet there one that you might find interesting. Its title is The Last Great Necessity: Cemeteries in American History, and the author is David Charles Sloane. Mr. Sloane just happens to be the son of Jack F. Sloane who was Superintendent of Oakwood Cemetery for over thirty years. Consequently the book features Oakwood quite prominently. In fact, the title is taken from Elias Leavenworth’s speech at the dedication of the cemetery on November 3, 1859. There he reminded his audience of over five thousand that nature and the community had labored “diligently and successfully for the wants of the living…Water and gas, railroads and canals, a salubrious climate, a fertile soil, prosperous agriculture, commerce and manufacturing, have…filled our laps with plenty and made our homes the abodes of happiness and peace…But…we [have] forgotten what was due the dead.” Leavenworth felt that “an ample, permanent and attractive resting place for our dead, seems to be the last great necessity of our city.” And so Oakwood Cemetery, one of many rural cemeteries of that era, came into being. Sloane traces the history of cemeteries, from burying grounds to graveyards to churchyards to cemeteries to rural cemeteries to lawn park cemeteries to memorial parks. This social and economic evolution is described in great detail. Published in 1991 and republished in 1995, the book is available on Amazon or at your local library.

Don’t forget our first tour of 2023 is this Sund

Don’t forget our first tour of 2023 is this Sunday at 2pm. Plan on 2 hours for the tour. There is no cost (donations accepted and encouraged) and no need to rsvp. These tours are presented by HOCPA board members and made possible thanks to the support of Oakwood Management. 🪦

May 21 – Section B – Join Diane Medvitz to hear some of the stories the residents of Section B have to tell. Along with Diane will be Holly Koenig who will describe some of this section’s most interesting monuments.

Enter at the Comstock gate and follow the signs to meet up with the group!

It’s almost that time of year again - TOUR TIME

It’s almost that time of year again - TOUR TIME inside Oakwood Cemetery. Our first two tours have been scheduled for May 21st and June 25th at 2pm. More details below, but add the dates to your calendar. Plan on 2 hours for the tour. There is no cost (donations accepted and encouraged) and no need to rsvp. These tours are presented by HOCPA board members and made possible thanks to the support of Oakwood Management. 🪦

May 21 – Section B – Join Diane Medvitz to hear some of the stories the residents of Section B have to tell. Along with Diane will be Holly Koenig who will describe some of this section’s most interesting monuments.

June 25 – Section 35 – Mrs. Kate Candee Knickerbocker (1850-1925), a resident of Lot 127, has graciously agreed to introduce tour-goers to some of her neighbors. Mrs. K. (aka Sue Greenhagen) knows their stories, and then some.

FYI! This seems interesting! 👀

FYI! This seems interesting! 👀

I want to go where the leaves are burning, burning

I want to go where the leaves are burning, burning in scarlet and gold. These are the words written by Lillie Belle Dimond (1884-1926) probably about the beautiful fall days in Syracuse. Born to immigrants Louis and Mary Dimond, she became a teacher at Merrick School, a post she held for 20 years. She often asked her students to write and draw as part of their studies. Gordon Doane wrote a letter about Luther Burbank, which Lillie mailed to him in California. Burbank responded, signing his letter “Your faithful friend.” She often enlisted her students in public works projects, collecting pennies for the poor or bringing toys and warm clothes to the less fortunate students. A lover of history, Lillie was a champion of restoring the old arsenal on East Seneca Turnpike, discussing the project with Governor-elect Nathan Miller. Her painting of the arsenal won first honors at the State Fair art exhibit. On the 100th anniversary of Onondaga Valley Academy Lillie painted the building as part of “A Life in Art: women artists in OHA’s Collection”, one of 18 of hers owned by OHA. The Academy burned down five years later. Acting Postmaster Myron J. Parkinson planned a collection of photographs of former postmasters. Lillie painted John Wilkinson, Syracuse’s first postmaster (1820-1840) for this collection. Lillie died at a young age of throat cancer. Her interment in Oakwood’s vault was kept a secret with only her sister and an unnamed neighbor in attendance; even the undertaker was sworn to secrecy. She was later buried in the family plot, Section 53 lot 65, with her parents and five siblings. The inscription reads: Artist, Poetess, musician, teacher in Merrick School 20 years, Syracuse, NY; Entered the heavenly life July 25, 1926.

Happy Arbor day, a day dedicated to trees and fore

Happy Arbor day, a day dedicated to trees and forests– a forest being a community of plants dominated by trees. Amidst all the forest’s layers (canopy, understory, shrub, herbaceous, and soil) live many creatures– insects, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. The soil is a wonderland in itself, containing insects, worms, and microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. Even if you don’t see any fellow humans, you are never alone in the Oakwood Cemetery forest!

The original 122 acre cemetery was designed by landscape architect Howard Daniels of New York City with assistance from Frederick Knight of Cortland. The design specified a forested landscape, ⅔ covered with trees, to be mostly oak, maple, pine, and hickory. A crew of 50 men with horses dug valleys, piled hills, and planted trees and shrubs. The cemetery has now expanded to about 160 acres.

A 2021 survey of 1254 trees by Skylar Moffett and Bridget Maloney of ESF describes 65 species of large trees, 6 species of small ornamental trees, and 5 species of fruit trees, including my favorite, the fabulous Weeping Cherries. About 30% of the mature trees in the original sections are large oak. How many trees are there? A lot. It has been reported that over 1,000 trees were damaged during the labor day storm of 1998 and had to be removed. Current estimates describe the property as still being about 57% canopy with the remaining 43% lawn and road surfaces. The existing trees presently remove 607 tons of carbon dioxide annually from the air we breathe. To keep that in perspective, each gallon of gas that is burned produces 20 lbs of carbon dioxide, so that’s about 60,000 annual gallons worth. Trees also absorb other air pollutants, like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, and keep heat in check. The temperature difference between sidewalk and area under trees can be as much as 30 degrees as shown by the photo provided by Dr. Bassuk of Cornell University. In addition to all the environmental benefits of trees, being under them makes us happy!
On this Arbor day, If you cannot find a place in your yard to plant a tree, consider having one planted in Oakwood by visiting HOCPA.org. It will be enjoyed by many.

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Historic Oakwood Cemetery Preservation Association - Syracuse, NY

1 week ago

Grief is a state of profound emotional turmoil caused by loss, usually of a loved one. This is a universal human experience, possibly felt by other animals. Dramatizations of varying degrees of grief often appear in both pictorial and literary art (most notably Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”). Appropriately, symbols of grief are also seen in mortuary art, from early scenes of mourning in Egyptian tombs to 19th century European cemetery statuary. Photographer David Robinson in his book, “Saving Graces”, has identified four general types of grief sculpture. The first depicts a woman overcome, distraught, and essentially collapsing. In Paris cemeteries, these women are so overwhelmed, sometimes their clothes are falling off. We have nothing so dramatic in Oakwood cemetery, however, in Section B we do have a rendition of the “Weeping Angel of Grief Over the Dismantled Altar of Life”, by William Story. The original was created in 1894 for the artist’s wife, Emeline Story, who is buried in Rome, Italy. The second type is that of a woman reaching upward, barefoot and disheveled, futilely asking for the return of her loved one. In section 3, there is a version gazing into the heavens raised by Margaret Smith in homage to her sister Jane Redfield. The words “Heavenly Father” appear in Bronze letters affixed to the stone near the model’s right foot.The third type is more self contained and solemn in grief. The Charles Crouse mausoleum in Section 56 features a bronze door cast in the figure of a woman by artist Stina Gustafson. Her head is bowed in a posture of mourning and her hands are placed on the sealed door, making one last attempt to contact the loved one. The fourth version is a resigned, calmer, and more accepting figure. One such example is the Niver monument in Section 36. This high relief androgynous angel is gazing quietly into the distance, thoughts turned inward, loosely holding flowers of mourning. The base is decorated with Poppies, symbol of peaceful sleep. From the time of Plato, it was unseemly for men to show strong emotions. As these examples illustrate, feminized figures, either human or angelic, are by far the designated grievers. ... See MoreSee Less

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