I'm surrounded by old cemeteries and burying grounds here in Portsmouth, NH. I photograph early New England cemeteries and post the photos and history of them to http://www.gravematter.com.

I think too many old fashioned songs are falling out of favor and well a new generation never hears auld lang sine or Camptown racetrack or under the old apple tree

easy to sing to songs I bet it would be a best seller with her children singing now Martha might you discuss venture capital with her?

I noticed your question about removing lichen, and I've learned that it's a tricky proposition. In some cases, the lichen itself is holding the stone together, and removing it causes worse damage to the stone.

In addition, most cleaners have chemicals that also cause damage to the stone. If in doubt, use nothing stronger than water.

A very good primer on cleaning stones is at: http://www.gravestonestudies.org/faq.htm. The most important thing is to make sure the stone is "sound" before proceeding, first by determining the stone's material.

If the stone is not sound, you might consider contacting a professional restorer.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

The monument you mentioned with the flat stone upon a legs is what is referred to as a "table tomb." Usually, the inscription is on the top, but, often is very difficult to impossible to read, as it bears the brunt of the weather.

The marker in the shape of a cross is a variant on the "hip tomb," (rectangular boxes with angled roofs, resembling houses).

The anchor icon might denote a seaman, but, it was most commonly used as a symbol for hope, and was seen through the 19th century. A ship is the more common icon for a sailor.