Calvary Cemetery of Saint Patrick's Church, Cairo, Illinois

~

~

Going up the hill to Calvary Cemetery of Saint Patrick's Catholic Church.

Established October 1863.

~

~
~

Beautiful Holy Mary...

She is one of the few large statues in the cemetery.

~

~
"Thomas Smyth
Died September 26, 1862
Aged About 32 Years ~
~
Mary, Wife of Thomas Smyth
Died August 12, 1865
Aged 33 Years."

Makes me wonder why they died so young, and not quite 3 years apart...

~

~

The Mausoleum.

~
~
A lovely, lichen-y angel...
~
~

"Alice M. Kenney"

I love the simple, folk-art look of this angel.

~
~

A praying cherub...

~
~

"Anna Maria
Died Nov.5, 1870
Aged 10 M:s, 7Ds
~
Timothy
Died Sep.27, 1866
Aged 5 Ys 8 M:s 23 Ds

Children of T.& B. Coyle

"Dearest Children, thou hast left us..."

~

I see many stones that give the date of death and the exact age...

Years, months and days ~

(Life was often so short they must have been compelled to record each day...),

but not the birth date. Sad; it seems they focused more on the negative.

However, it was expensive to have all these things carved on the stone, so I guess they

thought the date of birth could be figured out if necessary.

~
~

"Patrick Smith
Died Jan.1, 1868
Aged 57 Yrs."

I believe.

There is a lot of small script that I couldn't decipher, even tracing

the letters with my fingertips...

~
~

Many headstones have fallen at some point and have been left that way;

I'm unsure of the significance of the pretty "B" script stone here.

~
~
~
~
~
~
~
~

"Oh, My Children, Let Me Rest
Among the Flowers, Let Me Listen 
To the Birds Sing as Each New
Day is Born, Then I Will Wait For
You, Content 'Till Eternity"

~

Mother
Johanna Coleman O'Rourke
1877-1930

~
~

Mother & Father...

~
~

I couldn't make out the inscription on this one either,

But there were several small markers in this style scattered throughout the cemetery...

The flowers are symbolic; a Rose (love), Calla Lily (beauty),

Lily of the Valley (innocence and purity) and Morning Glory (symbolizing

Christ's resurrection).

~
~

"Corp.Charles R. Stuart
Co.C
4 Ill. Inf.
Sp.Am.War"

There were many military headstones throughout the cemetery.

~
~

"Charles Kavanagh
Died in Cairo
in the 23rd.yr.
of his age"

(But no dates at all...unusual ~)

I am guessing that

"Mary Farley
born in Co. Kildare, Ireland"

is his wife and is also buried here, but no dates for her either.

The wife's maiden name is commonly used on the headstone.

~
~

I saw way too many things like this, sadly.

~
~

Looking across into neighboring Cairo City Cemetery.

~
~

A nice example of a Victorian Rustic period headstone,

with cut-off branches (a life cut short)...

~
~
~

Crosses in Calvary...

~
~
~

A pretty draped obelisk.

~
~

An identifying stone at the side entrance to the cemetery.

~