Mayflower Hill Cemetery

I visited Mayflower Hill Cemetery. It is located at 235 Broadway Street, Taunton Massachusetts. The cemetery is  right up the street from the city dump, which to me is a downfall. There is also a gas station, Dunkin Donuts and pharmacy surrounding the cemetery.  The cemetery is very large, it is 54.53 acres. There are approximately 5,000 plots in the cemetery. The Mayflower Hill Cemetery was established in the 1800's.

The City of Taunton runs the Mayflower Hill Cemetery. The Taunton Department of Public Works maintains the cemetery.




 The cemetery’s landscape is very well kept. The layout of the cemetery is neat, I got a peaceful, calming feeling while I was there. There is room for mare graves, I’m not sure how many more graves will fit.

 There is a main office when you first enter the cemetery. It looks like a house, it’s white with green shutters. Every time I have been to this cemetery I have never actually seen anyone in the main office. There is also a maintenance building. I’m assuming that’s where equipment for the upkeep of the cemetery is stored.

There are a lot of fancy, intricate tombstones and artwork at the Mayflower Hill Cemetery. There was one grave in particular that I loved. It was a Celtic cross filled with beautiful flowers. The name on this grave was Hubbard.

There was one grave that had a rabbit on it, I found it interesting. I wonder why the family chose a rabbit??



There was a grave with a smooth, shiny, flat front and the back looked like rocks glued together. I thought it was really neat.

There was  this one grave with such intricate carvings. It was a picture of the open road with a camper and two acoustic guitars. It was absolutely beautiful. Graves like this give you a little bit of an idea of what the person was like. The grave read Tavares and underneath read "Sky Travis".



There was a tomb looking sculpture and inside there were graves and grass and a tree. It was surrounded by shady trees and a little cobblestone walk way. The tomb read Leonard and was dated 1879. It was in amazing condition.

As I was wondering around the cemetery I stumbled upon this statue dedicated to veterans. There was no particular war that the statue was dedicated to.The statue was surrounded by four cannons.

 There were many decorations on many of the graves. A lot with flowers and little trinkets from family and friends. Some graves are decorated for every holiday, which I find to be extremely comforting.

"At those who come to my grave with flowers, I can but laugh, those ignorant, unheeding what you please, who think I bear some relation to this stone and do not know I am in those flowers, and these."

My grampa passed away two years ago and I still continue to bring a flower on every holiday and his birthday. I do this not because I think his spirit still resides with his body underground, but because to me it shows respect.

The oldest grave with decoration was from 1882. The grave belongs to a little girl named Pearl Frenen. Born August 21,1878 died March 26, 1882. Pearl was four years old when she died. The grave is a sculpture of her favorite rocking chair and reads “her vacant chair.” The story about this grave is as follows: This  little girl did everything her mother asked of her and one day when her mother had to go outside and hang clothes on the line she told Pearl to stay in her chair and not to get up from the chair until she returned. The chair was in the living room near their fireplace and something caught and set the house on fire. Pearl never moved from her chair because she didn’t want to disobey her mother. Pearl's mother couldn't get to her and she died in the fire.

 As I was exploring the cemetery there were a few graves that were husband and wife and family all together. I thought that was very nice and comforting that these families were all laid to rest with each other.

 There is a veteran’s section with hundreds of metal circles with numbers on them.I found this to be very in-personable and depressing. Here lay people that fought for our country and freedom and all they get for remembrance are tiny metal circles with a number on them. It was unsettling to me.



There was also a section with a stone pillar which read “little hearts at rest” and two benches on either side. This wasn’t a specific section for children’s graves. Just a child’s grave in general.I didn't feel sad when I saw this, instead I felt at ease.

The oldest grave I found was Reverend James Taylor born March 5, 1797 and died December 6, 1860.This grave was covered in moss but still in excellent condition for it's age. I thought it was really neat looking.



The newest grave I was able to find was that of Michael J. Moreau. Born February 29, 1976 and died May 31, 2006. His grave had a Red Sox emblem on it and newly placed flowers. All of the most recent graves were located toward the back of the cemetery.

 I think that Mayflower Hill Cemetery is very well kept and maintained. I grew up down the street from this cemetery and my mom used to run there when I was younger so I'm pretty familiar with it. I would like to be buried in a Catholic cemetery so I wouldn't consider being buried at Mayflower Hill.
 
 To me this cemetery shows that we respect our deceased. We bring flowers, gifts, and memories to a loved ones grave. Personally, I visit my grampa's and aunt's graves as much as I can. Sometimes I'll bring a flower other times just my thoughts. I feel content after visiting a loved ones grave. Maybe that is selfish on my part but it puts my heart at ease when I do so. Even though that person isn't there talking back to me I feel as though they are listening and watching down on me. I don't find cemeteries creepy or uncomfortable at all. If anything I find the, relaxing and calming.

"Well then as I said at the beginning, if a man has trained himself throughout his life to live in a state as close as possible to death, would it not be ridiculous for him to be distressed when death comes to him? The initial thought of death makes me sad but it is a natural part of life. I terribly miss loved one's that I have lost but I know in my heart that they are all in a better, happier, more peaceful place looking down over me.