04/03/2026
It's always an exciting day when we add new art to the cemetery, and today we added the second in our series of three deer, "Waiting for Her Beau". Like our first deer, "The Green Lawn Birder" in the ravine, this was the creation of local artist Renate Fackler. This deer is the lady-friend of our birder, and patiently waits for him with a picnic basket near our gazebo. While the birder highlights the natural, park-like qualities of the rural cemetery movement, our new deer reminds us of how families would periodically visit their lots to trim brush and straighten things up, often bringing a picnic lunch for after. Next year we plan to complete the series with her father, titled "The Chaperone", that will highlight how rural cemeteries provided 19th century men a socially acceptable place to grieve.
