There really wasn’t any question I was going to photograph this monument, and I would probably use it in one of my symbolism posts or collections of statues. When I saw what exactly it said, I knew it would get its own post.
Arthur J. Branigan
Born May 13, 1901
Died Sept. 6, 1916
Erected by Aunt Kate
Monuments that provide clear information on who put up the monument are fairly uncommon. Usually, they are of the “to my loving husband” or “here lies my beloved wife” variety. Even more rare are monuments that, like this one, specify that detail and the person who put up the monument is not a member of the immediate family. But of course, every observation I make leads to another question. Why did Arthur’s Aunt Kate put up the monument to him in Calvary Cemetery and not his parents or grandparents? Was he an orphan? Was Aunt Kate much wealthier than the rest of the family? Was she his aunt by blood? (Aunt being a common appellation used for fictive kin – I am “Aunt Ashley” to a half dozen children even though a geneaologist would say I only have two nephews.) For now, I can’t answer those questions.
A Grave Concern 