[Originally posted at the Southern Graves blog.]
"Egyptian, is perhaps the most funerary of all architecture," writes Douglas Keister in Forever Dixie: A Field Guide to Southern Cemeteries & Their Residents. This, of course, makes perfect sense. The very definition of an Egyptian pyramid, at it's core, is a tomb. History.com's article about the Egyptian Pyramids says this:
The pyramid's smooth, angled sides symbolized the rays of the sun and were designed to help the king's soul ascend to heaven and join the gods, particularly the sun god Ra.
Oftentimes, especially in cemeteries located in the southern United States, Eqyptian architecture is combined with more mainstream Christian symbols. Delmar Warren's pyramid tombstone at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia, however, is pretty plain.
Frankly, the simple display looks out of place amid the crosses, angels, flora, and fauna carved in stone around it and throughout the cemetery. So why was this particular tombstone placed for Delmar Arliss Warren (1911-1982)? A line from his obituary (16 January 1982, Augusta Chronicle) could hold the answer:
Mr. Warren attended schools in Macon and was a graduate of Georgia Tech. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, was a member of the American Institute of Architects and was a Methodist.
Furthermore, the 1940 Bibb County, Georgia Federal census – search it free here – provides Delmar's occupation as Architectural Designer.
Simple as that.
This is a very interesting topic for me. thanks for the links. I'll go and look.
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