Mount Mora was full of poison ivy and great mausoleums.

Despite having to watch where I put my feet, I had a great time here. I’ve never seen so many mausoleums in one place at least not in the midwestern U.S.

I caught a couple of nice little orbs in this one. Spirits or sun spots, you make the call.

Beautiful patinas, lovely colors. Can you imagine what these monuments must have looked like brand new and gleaming?

I didn’t know the stories behind all the grand monuments, but I did get the scoop on this last one.

According to John Gary Brown in his great book, Soul in the Stone, in the 1880’s Mr. and Mrs Vanderlinde stopped in St. Joseph on their way west. Mrs. V. died in childbirth. Mr. V, without friends or family in the area, built this tomb for his wife. He moved on with their child shortly after completing it. Recently, groundskeepers noticed that the wooden door had deteriorated. After a quick look inside, they bricked over the entrance. What they saw in the tomb was Mrs. V’s preserved body lying on a plank held by two saw horses. She had on her wedding gown.

Sigh.