Big willow, small willow

The words are not easy to read, but the carving of two willows, one large and one small, helps this gravestone to stand out. It is one of the lost stones along The Path of Lost Stones that I introduced yesterday.

Read the inscription and the intended symbolism of the two willows on the gravestone for Ann Moss (b. 1793, d. 1830) becomes clear.

THE
GRAVE OF
ANN MOSS & BABI
JUNE 10, 1830
Her birth place Long Island
Jan. [xx], 1793.
[Daughter?] of

Is that really an I at the end of BABI? I think so. Given the small willow, I suspect it is a misspelled BABY, and not a name.

There is an Isaac Moss listed in the 1830 United States Federal Census for Franklin Township, Warren, Ohio. Three persons are listed in his family:

1 free white male, 20 thru 29 (Isaac)
1 free while female, 20 thru 29 (Ann?)
1 free while female, under 5 (Baby? Baby’s sibling?)

We cannot identify Ann’s family without more research—and perhaps some stone cleaning. For now, it is enough to pause at the gravestone and pay respects to Ann and her child: Big willow, small willow.

---

Woodhill Cemetery, Warren County, Ohio