SPEAKING OF THE DEAD: Community class delves into tombstones, graves and more.

A community class titled "Carved in Stone: Cemetery History and Symbolism" was held at Cloverdale Funeral Home's event center, exploring the significance of tombstones and graves. The class covered various topics, including the meaning behind symbols found on headstones. For example, a rose on a female headstone represents the length of the person's life, with a bud symbolizing an infant who passed away during childbirth and a fully bloomed rose indicating a long life. The class also discussed different types of graves, such as "mortcages" used to protect against body theft and above-ground crypts commonly seen in New Orleans. The class touched on burial traditions, such as the positioning of bodies based on religious beliefs, and shared fascinating stories about famous burials gone awry. The class was part of a series of community classes offered by Boise Schools to engage the community in various interesting topics. [Extracted from the article]