It is thought that Emma's name and dates were included as a memorial to her...possibly due to the fact that at the time of death in January 1879 at age 24, her grave was left unmarked.
The documentation of her short life during the time after the Civil War and through the turmoil of the Reconstruction Era is sadly lacking in anything more than the Census.
Emma was two years and nine months older than Elizabeth, and as young girls growing up in the midst of the Civil War, one can only imagine the kind of childhood they must have had. Perhaps their headstone portrays the essence of their spirituality here on earth as their family so hoped it would also be in heaven.
Their shared headstone speaks volumes about Emma and Elizabeth as they were regarded by their families knowledge of the symbolism behind the kneeling Angel at the Cross.
For Emma, the Angel symbolizes their grief at her untimely death. For both sisters the Calvary Cross signifies belief in faith, hope and love...they were surely loved by all who knew them.
Elizabeth was 21 years of age when Emma died. Her father's death six years earlier, left the family farm in Cobb County, Georgia, for his wife and children to continue. There she resided through the 1890's. In 1900 Elizabeth joined the household of her youngest sister Savannah and her family of husband Hiram Brown and three sons. Elizabeth spent many years living with her sister and brothers who remained in Georgia. In the years before her death, she and her aging older brother lived with their youngest sister Savannah.
She was obviously a devoted sister and was thought of as an
Angel here on earth as well as in Heaven.
