Parenthetically speaking

Ever see parentheses on a gravestone? Take a close look at this one.

And while you’re at it, take a few minutes to admire those carvings: willow, urn, columns, and stars galore. Are those laurel sprigs decorating the marker’s “shoulders”?

REBECCA,
consort of
JAMES RANNEY,
died (a saint)
17, June 1833,
aged 43
years.
Unfortunately, the epitaph is covered with algae and lichen so I can’t make it out. Would no doubt be an interesting read, considering Mrs. Ranney’s saintliness.

Oak Grove Cemetery, Delaware County, Ohio