usuSCA-FOLK035a_Barre Toelken Fieldwork Image Collection

Salt Lake City Cemetery (200 North (4th Ave) 'N' Street), Salt Lake City, Utah. Image is of a newly filled grave, between two headstones, that doesn't have an actual headstone. Instead of a headstone there is a rock slab that appears to be sandstone. On it is the engraved image of an elk. It reads 'Gone Hunting, (Buck Master).' In front of that is a plaque that is propped up and reads 'Happy Birthday Daddy.' To the right of that is a fake fish and behind the plaque is a toy fishing pole.

Image is a close-up of a white piece of paper (8 1/2" x 11") that has a poem written on it. It reads: 'Say Mike. The time of concern is over. No longer am I asked how I'm doing. Never is the name of my son mentioned to me. A curtain descends. The moment has passed. A life slips from frequent recall. There are exceptions. Close and compassionate friends. Sensitive and loving family. For most the drama is over. The spotlight is off. Applause is silent. But for me the play will never end. The effects on me are timeless. Say Mike to me. On the stage of my life he has been both lead and supporting actor. Do not tiptoe around the greatest event of my life. Love does not die. His name is written on my life. The sound of his voice replays within my mind. You feel he is dead. I feel he is the dead and still he lives. He ghost walks my soul, beckoning in future welcome. You say he was my son. I say he is. Say Mike to me and say Mike again. It hurts to bury his memory in silence. What he is in spirit stirs within me always. He is of my past but he is part of my now. He is the hope for my future. You say not to remind me. How little you understand that I cannot forget. I would not if I could. I understand you but feel pain in being forced to do so. I forgive you, because you cannot know and I would forgive you anyway. I accept how you see me, but understand that you see me not at all. I strive not to judge you, for yesterday I was like you. I love you, will make no expectations toward you. But I wish you could understand that I dwell both in flesh and spirit. The mystery is that you do too, but know it not. I do not as you to walk his road. The ascent is steep and the burden heavy. I walk it not by choice. I would rather walk with him in flesh looking not to spirit roads beyond. I am what I have to be. What I have lost you cannot feel. What I have gained you cannot see and I would not have you. Say Mike for he is alive in me. He and I will meet again, thought in many ways we have never parted. He and his life play light songs on my mind. Sunrises and sunsets in my dreams. He is real and shadow, was and is. Say Mike to me and say Mike again. He is my son and I love him as I always did. Say Mike/ Author Unknown.' Grave marker in the Ogden City Cemetery, Weber County (1875 Monroe Blvd. Ogden, UT 84401).

Grave marker in the Ogden City Cemetery, Weber County (1875 Monroe Blvd. Ogden, UT 84401). Image is a close-up of a white piece of paper (8 1/2" x 11") that has a poem written on it. It reads: 'Say Mike. The time of concern is over. No longer am I asked how I'm doing. Never is the name of my son mentioned to me. A curtain descends. The moment has passed. A life slips from frequent recall. There are exceptions. Close and compassionate friends. Sensitive and loving family. For most the drama is over. The spotlight is off. Applause is silent. But for me the play will never end. The effects on me are timeless. Say Mike to me. On the stage of my life he has been both lead and supporting actor. Do not tiptoe around the greatest event of my life. Love does not die. His name is written on my life. The sound of his voice replays within my mind. You feel he is dead. I feel he is the dead and still he lives. He ghost walks my soul, beckoning in future welcome. You say he was my son. I say he is. Say Mike to me and say Mike again. It hurts to bury his memory in silence. What he is in spirit stirs within me always. He is of my past but he is part of my now. He is the hope for my future. You say not to remind me. How little you understand that I cannot forget. I would not if I could. I understand you but feel pain in being forced to do so. I forgive you, because you cannot know and I would forgive you anyway. I accept how you see me, but understand that you see me not at all. I strive not to judge you, for yesterday I was like you. I love you, will make no expectations toward you. But I wish you could understand that I dwell both in flesh and spirit. The mystery is that you do too, but know it not. I do not as you to walk his road. The ascent is steep and the burden heavy. I walk it not by choice. I would rather walk with him in flesh looking not to spirit roads beyond. I am what I have to be. What I have lost you cannot feel. What I have gained you cannot see and I would not have you. Say Mike for he is alive in me. He and I will meet again, thought in many ways we have never parted. He and his life play light songs on my mind. Sunrises and sunsets in my dreams. He is real and shadow, was and is. Say Mike to me and say Mike again. He is my son and I love him as I always did. Say Mike. Author Unknown.'

Grave marker in the Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County (200 N Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84103). Image is of headstone for 'Toma James T. Sippel. Part of the headstone appears broken or unfinished.

Gravemarker in the Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County (200 N Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84103). Image is of a headstone that has an uneven top. To the left of it is a round kind of pillar that looks as though the top has been broken off.

Grave marker in the Logan, Utah, Cemetery (1000 North 1200 East). Image is a close up of a wreath that is leaning up against a headstone. The wreath is made of thin sticks and splattered with white. On both sides of the wreath are evergreen trees with white dots to represent snow. In the center are two replicas of snowmen. The one on the left appears to be male and has a red beanie hat and a red and white striped vest with a red, plaid bow. The one on the right appears to be female and has blue ear muffs on, a red and green striped scarf and a green heart on the left side of it. There is also a plaid square patch on the bottom of it. There is a sign to the left of the snowmen that reads 'You melt my heart.' The snow men are sitting on a pile of pine branches with pinecones, red berries, and a red bow. Just to the left of the headstone is a small metal hanger that has a wind chime hanging from it. There is also a small shiny heart-shaped balloon stuck into the ground below the wind chime.

Grave marker in the Logan, Utah, Cemetery (1000 North 1200 East). Image is a close up of a wreath that is leaning against a headstone. The wreath is made of thin sticks and splattered with white. On both sides of the wreath are evergreen trees with white dots to represent snow. In the center are two replicas of snowmen. The one on the left appears to be male and has a red beanie hat and a red and white striped vest with a red, plaid bow. The one on the right appears to be female and has blue ear muffs on, a red and green striped scarf and a green heart on the left side of it. There is also a plaid square patch on the bottom of it. There is a sign to the left of the snowmen that reads "You melt my heart." The snow men are sitting on a pile of pine branches with pinecones, red berries, and a red bow. Just to the left of the headstone is a small metal hanger that has a wind chime hanging from it. There is also a small shiny heart-shaped balloon stuck into the ground below the wind chime. There is snow on the ground surrounding the wreath. Slide.

Image shows the exterior, front view of a 100-year old Austrian house made of wood. Extending downward from the top beam are two smaller beams carved into the appearance of forearms and the shape of hands. The general design has a crisscross pattern.

This colorful image displays an old wooden fence made by stacking fallen wood in a crisscross pattern. Behind the fence is a Pinzgau tree—an evergreen tree that turns yellow.

Grave marker in the Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County (200 N Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84103). Image is of a grave marker sitting on a square concrete base. There is a black plaque with gold letters that gives the deceased's name and dates. Behind that is a sandstone rock in a kind of triangular shape with 'Abbie' engraved on it in black. There are some other loose rocks lying near it. There is also a square piece of metal with words in black marker that read, 'Abbie is love in its purest form.' At the end of the concrete base is a metal rusted stake in the ground, on top of it is an ornament in the shape of a dog.

Grave marker for Abbie in the Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County (200 N Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84103). Image is of a grave marker that is sitting on a square concrete base. There is a black plaque with gold letters that gives the deceased's name and dates. Behind that is a sandstone rock in a kind of triangular shape with 'Abbie' engraved on it in black. There are some other loose rocks lying near it. There is also a square piece of metal with words in black marker that read, 'Abbie is love in its purest form.' At the end of the concrete base is a metal rusted stake in the ground. On top of it is an ornament in the shape of a dog.

Grave marker in the Jordan Valley Cemetery in Malheur County, Highway 95, Jordan Valley, OR, 97910-0387. Image is of a flat headstone for two people that shows the left side of the headstone. In the upper left corner is an engraving of a tent with trees and hills in the background. Sitting in front of the tent is a man. In the center is a cross with flowers below it. There are also flowers off to the side.

Grave marker in Riverside Cemetery in Cody, Wyoming, Park County, (1721 Gulch St, Cody, WY 82414). Image is of two headstones side by side. Engraved on the 'Acton' headstone are mountains and evergreen trees. Engraved on the 'Dalton' headstone are mountains, evergreens, a bird in flight, a deer, and a teepee. In between the headstones are flowers.

Hutterites, also called Old Believers, are a German speaking, ethnoreligious group that is a communal branch of Anabaptists. These images represent the Turner Colony of Hutterites, a daughter colony of the Ayers Ranch Hutterite Colony located in Turner, Montana (USA), close to the Canadian border.

Hutterites, also called Old Believers, are a German speaking, ethnoreligious group that is a communal branch of Anabaptists. These images represent the Turner Colony of Hutterites, a daughter colony of the Ayers Ranch Hutterite Colony located in Turner, Montana (USA), close to the Canadian border.

Albert E. Redifer and Werner Hermann grave marker in a friedhof (cemetery) in Bremen, Germany. Image is of a headstone with an engraved ship at sea. Pink and white flowers and green plants lay front of it with trees behind the headstone.

Aleda S. Marshall and Corlett Seasons gravemarkers in the Logan, Utah, Cemetery (1000 North 1200 East). Image is of two small headstones in a similar style that are in line with each other. Both have fresh purple lilac blossoms in a pot just behind them. A pinwheel is stuck into the ground next to each pot of flowers. An engraving of pine boughs and pinecones is faintly visible on the left headstone.

Grave marker in the Logan, Utah, Cemetery (1000 North 1200 East). Image is of a headstone for two people with an engraving of grapes on a vine to the left and right of the family name 'Otte.' Hanging in front of the headstone from a metal hanger that is stuck in the ground from behind the headstone is a basket with orange flowers and green leaves that are hanging over the side. To the left of the headstone is a metal vase with orange flowers in it. Also in front of the grave stuck into the ground is a picture of a jack o' lantern.

Grave marker in the Logan, Utah, Cemetery (1000 North 1200 East). Image is of a flat headstone decorated with five helium balloons: yellow, green, white, pink, and a large blue one with 'Happy Birthday' written on it.

Grave marker in the Logan, Utah, Cemetery (1000 North 1200 East). Image is of a flat headstone that has four helium balloons attached to something near it. The colors of the balloons are yellow, green, white, and pink. There is also a larger blue, shiny helium balloon with 'Happy Birthday' in pink letters on it and images of white, yellow, blue, and pink confetti surrounding the letters.