Beneath these little mounds

A sad one from my town, Greenfield, MA:

Beneath these little
mounds, lie three infant
children of Capt. Isaac
Newton;
one, a son died May 1,
1780, aged 5 months.
The other two, each died
on the day of their birth.

The dissolving

From Phillipston, MA:

As you are now, so once was I,
Rejoicing in my bloom;
As I am now, you soon must be
Dissolving in your tomb.

One spring day, while hunting

From Elmwood Cemetery, Great Barrington, MA:

In memory of
Mr. Nathl. Parks,
AET. 19, who on
21st, March 1974
being out on a hunt=
=ing and conceal,d
in a ditch was
casually shot by
Mr. Luther Frink.

[All typos and/or mispellings in this, and any epitaph posted here, are accurately recorded from the gravestone itself.]

Death from above

From West Branch Cemetery, Colrain, MA:

This man arose from bed
In perfect health was he,
At 9AM we saw him dead
Kill'd by a falling tree.

The rising morn does not ensure
That we shall end the day:
For often death stands at the door
To snatch our lives away.

The cheerful scythe-swinger

My very favorite epitaph; from the Old Burying Ground, Shutesbury, MA

Erected by the town of Shutesbury
In memory of Ephriam Pratt
Born in East Sudbury Nov 1, 1686.
Removed to Shutesbury soon after its first settlement
Where he resided until he died May 22, 1804
In his 117 year.
He was remarkably cheerful in his disposition
and temperate in his habits. He swung a
scythe 101 consecutive years and mounted a
horse without assistance at the age of 110.
An hundred years in prospect long may seem
when view'd in retrospect a transient gleam
They live, in life, tho' long or short may be...

[The rest was illegible, being beneath the ground.]

Grim death

Three very dark epitaphs from the First Church Cemetery, Ludlow, MA:

Her infant twain doth still remain
Lodg'd in her mouldering arms
Doth loudly call to one and all
To hear grim death's alarms.

With disentary + with worms
God did death licence give
To take away my precious soul
And say I should not live.

Our life how short a groan a sigh
We live and then begin to die
Death steals upon us while we're green
Behind us digs a grave unseen.

A bitter-sweet epitaph

From Mt. Warner Road Cemetery, Hadley:

O stranger pause nor call this not
A place of fear and gloom.
We love to linger near this spot
It is our loved ones tomb.

The winding sheet

A sad epitaph from Hoe Shop Road Cemetery, West Gill, MA:

How quickly meet
Sweet flower thy blossom
And thy winding sheet.

An old sinner

From Quabbin Park Cemetery, Belchertown:

Ah no! he died and left behind
A fame that none would wish to share.

"Now I am dead..."

From Central Cemetery, in Orange, MA:

Now I am dead, and in my grave.
And my bones, they are all rotten.
When this you see remember me,
That I may not be forgotten.

"Alone"

I found this epitaph in an Athol, MA cemetery along Route 202:

ALONE

Gone is my last friend
Why did it have to end
I listen for the phone
Alas, I am all alone

Through faults of my own
Which no one can condone
I sit all by myself
Alas, I am all alone

I wish I could die
But all I do is cry
Alas, I am all alone
Won't someone tell me why

With no one to share
I pull out my hair
Alas, I am all alone
Because I forgot to care

Death by sand.

From South Cemetery, Belchertown:

In memory of a son... who died as follows...
Being sent after sand killed by the bank caveing in
upon him May 21 1811, aged 8 years

The cut of an ax.

This intriguing epitaph comes from the Old Hadley Burying-ground, in Hadley, MA:

Samuel Phillips Porter
Son of Gen. Samuel + Mrs Lucy Porter,
died 7 Aug. 1809 in the 4 year of his age.
His death was occasioned by the cut of an ax
upon his neck which severed his jugular vein.

Old Montague epitaphs

Very striking epitaphs from Montague, MA:

Cyrus, son of Mr
Joseph + Mrs
Annas Cunn
Perished in the
Woods on the
Night of the first
of Dec. 1809, ag.
3 ys. + 11 mon.

When bending o'er this sculptur'd stone
You weep my fate, or mourn your own;
Spurn not the narrow bounded tomb,
Here's space enough to give you room.

In memory of Mr.
Phineas, son of Dea. Silas +
Mrs Mary Hosmer, who died
July 10, 1832 Aged 19 years + 7 mo.
In attempting to swim across the Connec
ticut, with Mr. Samuel Marsh Jr, his strength
failed + both turned to regain the shore; Marsh
succeeded, + seeing his friend sinking, his generous
heart induced him to return to save him + both
sunk together, not to rise, until their immortal
spirits had ascended to their God, where we trust
he is celebrating the praises of that Redeemer of
which he was a professed follower while with us.
He was amiable in life, may the living imitate
his virtues, + be prepared to meet the King of Terrors.
My fathers house mourn not for me
With Christ I reign: Oh! May you join with me again.

In memory of Mr. Elijah Bardwell
who died Jan'ry 26th 1786 in ye 27th
year of his Age, having but a few days
survived ye fatal night when he was
flung from his horse, + drawn by ye stirrup
26 rods along ye path as appear'd by ye place
where his hat was found + where he had
spent ye whole following severe cold night
treading ye snow in a small circle. The
family he left was an aged father, a wife
and 3 small children.
On this side Death man's dangers never cease
Beyond ye virtuous share eternal peace

How short the race our friend has run,
Cut down in all his bloom!
The course but yesterday begun
Now finished in the tomb!

Come fellow mortals come behold
The grave devours both young + old
Up and prepare for the same fate
Don't loiter till it be too late.