ALWAYS WALK LIGHTLY UPON CEMETERY GROUNDS
SHOWING RESPECT FOR THOSE RESTING HERE
OAK HILL CEMETERY
EARTHCACHE REQUIREMENTS
Each cacher must send his/her own answers BEFORE logging a find. ... "Geocachers must complete the tasks before they log the EarthCache as found." (4.3. EarthCache logging tasks)
Enjoy the journey (learning adventure) as well as the destination (smiley earned). Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints. To get credit for this Earthcache, complete the following tasks:
Park outside the gate (posted coordinates - do not block the gate). Then walk to the nearby gravestones.
Oak Hill Cemetery has 30 acres, 7,000 markers, and 13,000 internments.
... Identify the gravestone - Granite (igneous) or Sandstone (sedimentary) or Marble (metamorphic).
... Then use the checklist to indicate yes/no: 1 Granular Disintegration / 2 Flaking / 3 Blistering / 4 Contour Weathering / 5 Pitting / 6 Black Crusts / 7 Organic Forms
... For comparison of weathering, the gravestones are all from the late 1800s.
1. MESSAGE …. Lewis N 41° 57.509' W 78° 38.059'
2. MESSAGE …. Nilsson N 41° 57.510' W 78° 38.075'
3. MESSAGE …. Wood N 41° 57.526' W 78° 38.099'
4. MESSAGE …. Hill N 41° 57.536' W 78° 38.100'
5. MESSAGE …. Based on your observations and checklist. explain what type of stone you think best stands the test of time?
6. LOG ... Post a picture of you or your signature item at any gravesite with a flag. This picture is your log signature.
7. LOG …. Find another gravestone in this cemetery that illustrates an additional weathering form. What is the weathering form? Post picture of you or your signature item at the gravestone.
OPTIONAL - Please respect the time and effort involved in finding and creating this earthcache by adding A B C to your log.
A. Visit a memorial honoring our fallen heroes. Post a picture at the memorial. Label picture with name and location of memorial.
B. JOURNEY OF THE MIND ... Science explains what we observe. Relate (in your own words) something you found interesting in the reading. This adds to your learning adventure and your log.
C. JOURNEY OF THE HEART ... Art shares our personal experience of what we see. Share something special you found on site, and why it is special to you ... prose / story / poem / picture. This is a memorable addition to your log and will make other hearts smile.
Journeys of Heart and Mind ...
Stories to Touch the Heart and Puzzles to Challenge the Mind / Rainbow Tree Story
DEDICATED TO LN who loves cemetery caches from RT who loves earthcaches.
THANK YOU John Watson (President Oak Hill Cemetery Association) for permission to share this learning adventure.
TYPES OF ROCKS
GRAVESTONE WEATHERING
The markers in this cemetery contain all three types of rocks (Sedimentary-sandstone / Igneous-granite / Metamorphic-marble) making it valuable for comparison of gravestone weathering.
Four factors are responsible for how gravestones are weathered:
1. Material the gravestone is made from
2. Environment the gravestone is in
3. Process by which the gravestone is weathered
4. Form of the weathering on the gravestone
Classification of Gravestone Weathering
RESOURCES
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/earth-sciences/impact/geology/london/citycemetery/weathering
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVPyBUDPjoA
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/photos-old-guard-places-flags-at-arlington-national-cemetery-headstones-ahead-of-memorial-day/16266/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/pitting-depth
https://www.wyorksgeologytrust.org/misc/Teaching%20weathering%20in%20West%20Yorkshire.pdf
http://www.envf.port.ac.uk/geo/inkpenr/graveweb/methods.htm
https://www.earthlearningidea.com/PDF/135_Gravestones.pdf
https://www.rsc.org/education/teachers/resources/jesei/graves/home.htm
https://redrockcanyonopenspace.org/education/geology/rock-weathering/
https://www.wvgs.wvnet.edu/www/geoeduc/Weathering_MassWasting/Weathering-MassWasting.pdf
http://www.envf.port.ac.uk/geo/inkpenr/graveweb/methods.htm
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2016/10/31/the-geology-of-graveyards/#33c353ab265b
https://sciencing.com/effects-acid-rain-cemetery-stones-19291.html
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/305362485_Gravestone_geology
This series is dedicated to my dad who served in World War II.
GOD’S PROMISE …. A MOTHER’S LOVE
Told by my uncle (Joseph) ... And my father (Anthony)
Family was seated around the table on Thanksgiving Day when my uncle related why he and his brother returned home safely from the war.
Unbeknownst to my uncle aboard the carrier transporting him across the Atlantic, his ship was targeted by an underwater submarine. There were flashes in the distance that he later learned was the submarine being destroyed.
While stationed in Europe, his base was targeted by enemy fire. He awoke to the sound of the thundering of bombs exploding and saw the dark sky turn bright as the noonday sun. Men were scrambling for safety, but he remained seated with a peace that passeth all understanding. When the carnage was over, he looked down. There was a piece of shrapnel lodged just above his heart, but had not penetrated through his clothing.
Similarly, unbeknownst to my father aboard the carrier transporting him across the Pacific, his ship was targeted by an underwater submarine. There were flashes in the distance that he later learned was the submarine being destroyed.
My father loved to be amongst nature whenever and wherever. One day he was comfortably seated below a tree in the jungles of Australia. He laid his helmet beside him and was enjoying the peace of the moment. When it was time to leave, he reached for his helmet but was guided to look within before placing it upon his head. There sat a poisonous spider which would have surely been his demise. He dislodged the spider and returned to camp.
One day while on her knees communing with the Creator, my grandmother prayed for her sons to return home safely. She arose from prayer knowing God’s hand was upon her sons and they would return unharmed.
And so it was, many close encounters, but my uncle and my father each made it safely home. It was there the two brothers learned of God’s Promise and their Mother’s Love.