There are a huge amount of Commonwealth War Graves in and around my southern UK hometown, I like that we honour every nation who helped.

Little Marina o Marinita, born 1930, passed 1935

Was taking photos in the Emmaus Church Cemetery in Poquoson, VA, and saw this one of two children siblings who passed on the same day. I did a little research and found their death certificates. They both accidentally drown. So sad. 😞

Sultan Cemetery in Sultan Washington

It looks almost like a toy on the side the bark hasn’t split

On August 13, 2018, Shan’ann Watts was 34 years old, 15 weeks pregnant with her son, Nico, when she and her daughters, four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste (“CeCe”), were murdered by Shanann’s husband, Christopher (“Chris”) Watts, in Frederick, Colorado.

In the days that followed, Chris appeared on television pleading for his family’s safe return while investigators searched for the missing mother and children. After failing a polygraph examination, he confessed. Shan’ann’s body was found buried in a shallow grave at a remote oil site where he worked, while Bella and CeCe were recovered from separate crude oil tanks nearby.

Chris Watts later admitted that he had strangled Shan’ann after she returned home from a business trip and murdered their daughters before disposing of all three victims. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder, unlawful termination of Shan’ann’s pregnancy, and tampering with their bodies. He was sentenced to five life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Today, Shan’ann rests with her babies, Bella, CeCe, and Nico. They are buried at Bethesda Cemetery in Aberdeen, North Carolina.

My nephew who tragically died at 18 yrs old in a head on collision.

Hidden among the moss-draped oaks of Bosque Bello Cemetery in Fernandina Beach rests one of Florida’s most moving historical sites. A row of simple stone crosses marks the graves of 19 Sisters of St. Joseph, women who crossed an ocean to serve others and, in some cases, gave their own lives while caring for victims of one of Florida’s deadliest epidemics.

Their story is one of extraordinary courage, selfless service, and unwavering faith.

The Sisters of St. Joseph trace their origins to Le Puy-en-Velay, France, where the congregation was founded in 1650 by Jesuit priest Jean-Pierre Médaille. From the beginning, their mission centered on education, caring for the poor, and promoting social justice through practical acts of charity.

More than two centuries later, in 1866, eight Sisters left their motherhouse in France and sailed for St. Augustine, Florida. The Civil War had ended only a year earlier, and Florida, like much of the South, was struggling through Reconstruction. Thousands of newly emancipated African Americans had little or no access to education, and Catholic Bishop Augustin Verot appealed to the Sisters to help establish schools.

The Sisters accepted the challenge. Soon they expanded their ministry to Fernandina Beach, where they opened schools, cared for families in need, and became an important part of the growing community. The Sisters faced immediate challenges. None of the original group spoke English fluently, yet they immersed themselves in learning the language so they could better serve local families.

They taught children during the day and offered evening classes for adults eager to learn reading and writing. To support their schools financially, they made handmade lace, taught French, and offered lessons in music and art.

Their ministry reached everyone who needed help, regardless of race, religion, or economic status, a remarkable commitment during the difficult years following the Civil War.

But everything changed in the summer of 1877. Yellow fever, one of the most feared diseases of the 19th century, arrived in Fernandina Beach. Contemporary reports traced the outbreak to a vessel arriving from the West Indies. At the time, no one knew mosquitoes transmitted the disease, a discovery that would not come until more than 20 years later.

The epidemic spread rapidly. Approximately 1,100 residents became ill, and 94 people died, making it one of the worst public health disasters in the town’s history. Many residents fled to nearby Tiger Island or inland communities. Businesses closed. Families were separated. Fear gripped Fernandina.

The Sisters stayed, and additional Sisters arrived from Jacksonville to help care for the sick, even though they fully understood they were placing themselves in grave danger.

The Sisters nursed victims around the clock. They comforted the dying, prayed with families, prepared bodies for burial, and buried those who had no one else to care for them. They never asked about a person’s wealth, race, or religion before offering assistance.

One physician who witnessed their work reportedly told them:

“You have, my Sisters, more courage than a soldier on the battlefield.”

Those words captured the admiration many felt for the Sisters who refused to abandon the community when nearly everyone else was trying to escape.

The epidemic eventually claimed two of the Sisters. On September 21, 1877, Sister Marie de Sales Kennedy died of yellow fever at only 26 years of age.

Just eight hours later, Mother Marie Celenie Joubert, the community’s superior, died at age 33 after continuing to care for patients despite becoming ill herself.

They were first buried in the Fernandez Reserve Burial Grounds, near present-day Central Park. When Bosque Bello Cemetery was expanded, their remains were respectfully reinterred there alongside other Sisters of St. Joseph.

Today, their graves remain among the most meaningful places in Nassau County.

The surviving Sisters continued their mission. They reopened schools, established a convent academy, and resumed serving the community almost immediately after the epidemic ended.

When another yellow fever outbreak struck Fernandina in 1888, killing 54 residents, the Sisters once again answered the call to care for the sick.

Their ministry extended well beyond education. They visited prisoners in the Nassau County jail, comforted those condemned to death, cared for the poor, and provided spiritual guidance to anyone who sought it.

The last Sister buried in Bosque Bello Cemetery was Sister Anna Josephine Perbet, who died in 1956 at the age of 94, closing nearly 90 years of continuous service by generations of Sisters in Fernandina Beach.

Their sacrifice has never been forgotten. A stained-glass memorial window in St. Peter’s Episcopal Church honors the Sisters who died during the epidemic, reflecting the respect they earned across denominational lines.

Local residents have long referred to them as “The Angels of Mercy.” One enduring piece of Fernandina folklore tells that when Mother Celenie and Sister Marie de Sales were later exhumed for reburial, those present found their bodies remarkably well preserved and noticed the fragrance of roses surrounding them. This story has been passed down for generations and remains an important part of local tradition.

While no contemporary documentary evidence confirms the account, it survives as cherished local lore rather than established historical fact.

The Sisters of St. Joseph left France to educate children in a distant land. Instead, history called them to something even greater.

During one of Florida’s deadliest epidemics, they chose compassion over self-preservation, remaining beside the sick when many others fled. Their sacrifice helped define Fernandina Beach’s character and remains one of the most inspiring examples of humanitarian service in Florida history.

Their simple stone crosses at Bosque Bello Cemetery remind visitors that some of history’s greatest heroes never carried weapons or held public office. They simply answered the call to serve others, whatever the cost.

Took this in January. Its up on a steep hill and its surrounded by iron fences... so beautiful!

Pineview Cemetery in Rocky Mount North Carolina

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101252572/sidney_perry-hilliard