A proud stone carver

Perhaps the first thing you notice about the large siltstone marker at the grave of Noah Ruffner (d. 1844) is that it tilts to the left—a lot.

Now compare Mr. Ruffner’s name to the stone carver’s. The carver’s name, John Strickler, is nearly larger than Mr. Ruffner’s!

In memory of
NOAH RUFFNER,
died June
17, 1844
Aged 32 yrs
4 mo. 20 ds.
The workmanship is outstanding. No wonder Mr. Strickler was proud.

Though perhaps the large signature is not about pride. After all, John Strickler is the same stone carver who once carved an advertisement on a gravestone. Maybe he is making sure his brand is recognized.

Note about tilt vs. lean. In October the Ohio Chapter of the Association for Gravestone Studies sponsored a gravestone conservation workshop led by Ta Mara Conde of Historic Gravestone Services (New Salem, MA). One of the tidbits I learned that day was that leaning is for gravestones that are off vertical front to back, face upward or face downward; tilting is for side to side.

Baptist Corners Cemetery, Fairfield County, Ohio