Pet Cemetery

The map for Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta includes one especially curious point of interest.

“TWEET, THE MOCKINGBIRD (d 1874) was one of several beloved family pets buried in Oakland. The grave has a lamb for a headstone because the stone carver could not depict a Mockingbird.”

Molly Frederica Weimer was Tweet’s human companion. She died in 1899 at the age of 74. I try to imagine her visiting the grave of this bird for more than two decades, but I haven’t had as many fond experiences with mockingbirds. Currently, I have a mockingbird that props itself on the porch railing when I’m trying to enjoy my tea (or wine). It makes a lot of noise and tries to make itself look big, and it often succeeds in annoying me enough that I leave.

I hesitate to call the plot with Tweet’s grave dowdy, but let’s say that it’s easy to overlook. Apart from the lamb statue the size and shape of a sweet potato, the only other remarkable part of the plot is a headstone that reads just “GRANDMAMMA.” Not surprisingly, time has not treated the lamb kindly, rubbing off the ears and eyes so it looks like another botched restoration piece of a saintly figure (this article mentions Cristiano Ronaldo, who I don’t consider a saintly figure, although I’m sure many disagree).

After all this excitement, I would’ve done myself an injustice if I hadn’t written to the cemetery to find what other animals are buried there. And they obliged by giving me two.

Jody the miniature schnauzer, who was the companion of Reid Benson, a volunteer tour guide for the cemetery who died in 1997. Jody died a few years later and is now buried with him.

And then there’s the dog with an incredible name, Kitty Valentine. She died a few years ago, and is waiting for her people to join her.

That’s all that I know, although I’m sure there’s more. And I’ll be ready to draw those when I get the information, whenever that day comes to pass (graveyard humor).