Maine gravestones from the 1800s were decorated with images to reveal that those buried below died before their time. Snapped flower buds, broken tree branches, and cracked columns. From lightning strikes to shipwrecks, accidents to disease―even murder―there were many causes for these untimely deaths. In his new book Stories from Maine Cemeteries – Lives Cut Short Ron Romano uncovers how mysterious symbols, epitaphs, monument forms, and cemetery landscapes tell the stories of those whose lives ended too soon. Copies will be available for autographing and sale (cash or check only please).
Ron is a national award-winning cemetery historian and guide. He is the author of five Maine cemetery and gravestone-themed books. He has designed tours of twenty historic cemeteries and has served on local and national nonprofit boards dedicated to the preservation of historic burial spaces and grave markers.