“Her leys remains”

The dark gray color and inscription style of this gravestone (not slate of course, around here) reminds me of old New England stones.

The gravestone for Mary McKenney McDonel shows quite a lot of information about her—her father’s name, her place of birth, her husband’s name, her age when she died.

But there are no dates. No dates at all.

Click image to enlarge

Her leys remains of
Mary mckeney the;
Daughter of john M^ckenney,
Born in the Parish of
LaughGeel, Consort
of Mical M^cdonel,& from
The County of Antrim,
& Aged 45, yers;

“LaughGeel” is creative spelling for Loughgeel (or Loughgiel).

Several online family researchers claim Mary was born about 1775, died about 1820. Michael McDonald’s marker (same cemetery) lists his year of death as 1833.

This is an old Catholic cemetery, and so the cross is not unexpected. The sunburst likely represents the soul rising to heaven.

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Saint Joseph Cemetery, Perry County, Ohio