Masonic Funerary

Because some fraternal organizations, notably the Masons, adopted symbols from ancient civilizations and combined religious features in their rituals, the motifs often carried over to members’ grave markers. Hollywood Cemetery contains several excellent examples of such art. The William H. Huddleston (died 1905) [Section F, Lot 18] marker incorporates ancient…

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Mail Order Makers

While mail order companies like Sears-Roebuck & Company catered to household and farm needs about the time Hollywood Cemetery was established, other companies offered funerary art through mail-order catalogs. “White bronze” markers were marketed directly to consumers by catalog and also by the rising cadre of sales agents. Each marker…

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Doughboy and Other Military Markers

Consistent with Tennessee’s reputation as the “Volunteer State,” some Hollywood tombstones depict military service and patriotic themes. A “doughboy” statue in full uniform with gun and knapsack marks the grave of Jesse C. Lemmons (died 1927) [Section K 1, Lot 34]. The World War I veteran was wounded while serving…

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Footnotes

i Jonathan K. T. Smith, comp., Tombstone Inscriptions from Black Cemeteries in Madison County, Tennessee (Jackson, TN: privately printed, 2000), 21. ii “Friedlob,” Madison County, Tennessee Families, <http://www.tngenweb.org/madison/families/friedlob.htm> (14 November 2002). iii Emma Inman Williams, Historic Madison: The Story of Jackson & Madison County Tennessee From the Prehistoric Moundbuilders to…

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