Mother's love is considered the greatest form of love in this world. Every kid upholds a unique and extraordinary bond with mother. And mothers are considered as the biggest caretakers of their kids, but what if I tell you that a mother can shield her kid even after the kid is gone forever. This may sound tragic and awful to some people, but more than despair, there's a true form of love and care that this real-life story depicts.
When a girl named Florence Irene Ford died at the age of 10, her mother, Ellen made an exceptionally unusual request. She wanted her daughter's coffin attached with a tiny window, with stairs leading down to the coffin. The grave of Florence Irene Ford is located in Natchez City Cemetery at 19-27 Cemetery Road in Natchez, Adams Country, Mississippi. This Cemetery sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. Its white tombstones are neatly organized on the green grass of Adams County. This quiet spot is home to a handful of some striking tombs. There's a tomb of Rufus E Case, a large three-tiered structure that contains both Rufus and his favorite walking chair. The well-known Turning Angel, a statue that stares over five graves and seems to turn to stare at people as they walk towards it. But the grave with the most unique and the most touching backstory is Florence Ford's.
Florence was born on September 3, 1861, and she was extremely terrified of the storms since her childhood. As soon as a storm turned in, she would go on to her mother, who would patiently calm her until the storm finished. And after living a short life, in 1871, at the age of 10, Florence died because of yellow fever. And naturally, her mother shattered after Florence's death.
Ellen was so disturbed with the thought of her daughter's demise that she couldn't bear the feeling of Florence being laid to rest, as she, however, wished to calm her during the storms, even if Florence is lifeless. So, Ellen had a tiny window fitted at the head of her daughter's coffin, and little stairs assembled six-feet down to the level of the window. She also installed metal trapdoors at the top of the stairs so she could shut them during storms, protecting her daughter from the storm and rain. She made a comfortable place so that she can sit by her daughter's coffin, reading or singing to her until the storm passed. This may sound unusual to some people, but at the same time, it depicts a mother's care and devotion to her kid, even after the kid is not in this world.
The grave of Florence Ford has differed reasonably small since 1871. The epitaph written on the gravestone is yet manageable to read, it inscribes, “As bright and affectionate a daughter as ever God with his image blest”. And behind these beautiful lines, there are the metal trapdoors, which can still be opened today, so the visitors of the cemetery can still comfort Florence during the heavy storms after her mother laid to rest with the passing moments. The cemetery of Florence's grave is open from 7 am until evening, and the gates are locked at the end of the day. Anyone can willingly walk around the cemetery or can arrange a private guided tour in the cemetery.
This beautiful tale of Florence and her mother can be questionable for some people. It strives for the devotion of a motherly bond, and it can also portray the infatuation after a loved one's tragic demise. But at the same time, it depicts the peak of human emotions of love and care, and how a bond between a mother and her daughter can be flourished with love and affection without the boundaries of death, loss, and distance.
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Reference:
- www.atlasobscura.com
- www.onlyinyourstate.com
- www.findagrave.com