Rachel’s heart

The gravestone for Rachel Griffith is only partly visible, the bottom half (or more) buried or broken. No date of death, “wife of,” or “daughter of” is visible.

The decorative carvings are visible—and somewhat unusual. Instead of a willow, we see upside-down torches; instead of an urn, a flaming heart.

• An inverted torch is often understood to represent the end of life, although some draw a distinction between an extinguished torch (death) or one that still burns (life after death).
• A five-pointed star represent the Star of Bethlehem or the life of Christ.
• A flaming heart, sometimes thought to signify extreme ardor, more likely represents religious fervor.

In
Memory of
RACHEL GRIFFITH
[Who departed this life]

Click to enlarge

I am not forgetting the carvings at the top of the marker. I am just not sure what to make of them. Florets and—what? Stylized inverted torches? Maybe just a pretty design?

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Glendale Cemetery, Morrow County, Ohio