Those who study the “classical” world of Greece and Rome probably have an association with wreaths, particularly wreaths of laurel wreaths. They were used to crown the victors of contests. So what is a wreath doing in the cemetery, like this one in the monument to president James Garfield?
Probably still conveying the idea of victory, but now as the triumph of the soul over death and a symbol of immortality. Laurel, in particular, is used as a symbol because laurel leaves do not wilt or fade. This wreath is carved in the Peck monument as if it was laid there.
These wreaths adorn all the headstones in the Mather plot.
A Grave Concern 