Notate What You Notice

When I saw the stone of John H. Ufkes, I noticed that the name and dates appeared to be a newer, “cleaner” cut than the rest of the stone–particularly the verse on the bottom that I could not read because it was nearly weathered away.

When asking someone about it, I was told that his grandchildren had “gone in together” and had the name and vital dates “recut” into the stone. It almost looked like the name area of the stone had been “cut away” slightly so that the name could be reinscribed.

While I’m not certain of just how it was done, I should make a note that part of the inscription has been “redone.” If it appears that a stone has been some how modified or improved some time after the inscription, make a note of that. It may not be obvious from the pictures you take.

John H. Ufkes stone, Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Carthage, Hancock County, Illinois

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