Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Innocent and pure

The gravestone for Eliza Hunt (d. 1852) in Hunt Cemetery features the carving of a downturned lily.

The lily is often understood to represent innocence and purity—the perfect symbol for a young woman who died before she was married, a “daughter of” as opposed to a “wife of.”



ELIZA
Daughter of
D & C. HUNT
Died
Jan. 23, 1852
Aged 18 Ys

Although the age at death is only partly visible now, a previous reading of the cemetery lists Eliza’s age as 18 years, 9 months, and 28 days.

Could her parents be Daniel and Charlotte Hunt? Their household is listed in the 1850 Federal Census for Harlem Township, which is the site of Hunt Cemetery. Among the children in this farm family is Elvira, 17. Could that be Eliza?


There are surprisingly few Hunts buried in Hunt Cemetery. No Daniel, no Catharine, no Elvira.


Hunt Cemetery, Delaware County, Ohio

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