Comments on: Writing your own obituary… http://www.rickleonard.net/2010/01/writing-your-own-obituary/ Leonard Family History Thu, 02 May 2013 21:30:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Jeanie Brown http://www.rickleonard.net/2010/01/writing-your-own-obituary/comment-page-1/#comment-527 Jeanie Brown Sat, 23 Jan 2010 14:51:33 +0000 http://www.rickleonard.net/?p=2095#comment-527 Many years ago I decided [with my husband's agreement] what message would appear on my tombstone. We had made a trip thru Pennsylvania, West to East and somewhere in the middle, spotting a charming old cemetery, we detoured for a few hours. This was a very old cemetery dating to the 1700s. The tall, slender, curved topped stones black with age. Many inscriptions were quite ledgible. One that caught my attention and drew me like a moth to flame was the stone of a lady named Rebecca. Her vital dates were in the 1700s, but what has stuck with me was the epithat someone had assigned to her thru eternity. "HERE LIES REBECCA ________; FASTING AT LAST". A big grin split my face and my husband chuckled. We were both thinking the same thing. Yes, there was humor in the 1700s, at least I hope Rebecca found it humorous. I certainly did, and it is quite an appropriate message, considering my attitude in this life. So, someday in the [not so close future, if hope] if you drive thru Memorial Gardens in Hot Springs, AR. you may see a stone with the inscription "Here Lies Jean Miller Brown; Fasting At Last" [perhaps with a smiley face at the end?] I hope another generation sees the humor and can relate to my life situation. I'll be sharing a laugh with Rebecca. JMB Many years ago I decided [with my husband's agreement] what message would appear on my tombstone. We had made a trip thru Pennsylvania, West to East and somewhere in the middle, spotting a charming old cemetery, we detoured for a few hours. This was a very old cemetery dating to the 1700s. The tall, slender, curved topped stones black with age. Many inscriptions were quite ledgible. One that caught my attention and drew me like a moth to flame was the stone of a lady named Rebecca. Her vital dates were in the 1700s, but what has stuck with me was the epithat someone had assigned to her thru eternity.
“HERE LIES REBECCA ________; FASTING AT LAST”. A big grin split my face and my husband chuckled. We were both thinking the same thing.
Yes, there was humor in the 1700s, at least I hope Rebecca found it humorous. I certainly did, and it is quite an appropriate message, considering my attitude in this life.

So, someday in the [not so close future, if hope] if you drive thru Memorial Gardens in Hot Springs, AR. you may see a stone with the inscription “Here Lies Jean Miller Brown; Fasting At Last” [perhaps with a smiley face at the end?] I hope another generation sees the humor and can relate to my life situation. I’ll be sharing a laugh with Rebecca.
JMB

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