The Work

A cradle grave is a small coping monument shaped like an infant’s cradle. This one belongs to a young child named William Stanley Fickel. At some point it had broken, and its pieces were moved and stacked on a nearby family stone. Over the years a peony bush grew up and obscured the stone from view.

I started in the cemetery records to confirm the plot. Then the rebuild. Each piece was cleaned with water, a soft bristle brush and a conservation biocide. I set a cellular confinement base filled with crushed stone to give the monument a stable, level footing. The fractured pieces were repaired with a knife-grade stone epoxy, and the rails were set and bonded with the same. With the cradle back together, I added soil and planted fresh flowers.

Gallery