How Have Cemetery Stones Changed in the Last 100 Years in Iowa?
- Though cemeteries used to follow basic grid patterns in arranging their plots, rural cemetery design changed over the last two centuries, with headstones now often following landscape elements and features. Hills and trees affect cemetery layout, whereas city-based cemeteries of decades ago featured order, much as city streets did.
- Though Iowa headstones used to heavily feature religious symbolism, like trees, doves, nests and harvests, over the past 100 years these have been replaced by simple names and dates. In the last half of the 20th century, extreme personalization has taken up residence on tombstones. Highly detailed copies of photos of the deceased, along with emblems of hobbies and affiliations, like motorcycles or musical instruments, are featured instead.
- Though Midwestern stone was used originally as the material for basic Iowa headstones, increasingly globalized trade has changed that over the past century. Modern tombstones are sometimes made from granite that originated as far away as China.
