Get a tissue ready because this sad story is what drew me to this otherwise unremarkable cemetery.
Near the entrance to the cemetery on 1st Street, you'll spot this large doll house. It was intended for Nadine Earles who died in 1933 a week short of Christmas Day. A doll house was all that she wanted for Christmas and her parents still followed through on that wish, even if it was to be in the afterlife.
The doll house, now made of brick, stands among regular gravestones. It has all the makings of a real house, with a front porch, striped awnings, a mailbox, flower boxes in the summer, and an evergreen wreath and Christmas lights in winter.
After the house was installed, parents Julian and Alma filled it with a collection of dolls, toys, a baby buggy, a high chair, all to be kept neat and tidy for Nadine.
For years after her death, Julian and Alma handled the upkeep and stocking of toys. Eventually they passed away, and are now buried in the same plot alongside the little house. The city has since taken over upkeep of the dollhouse. To this day, it's manicured, cleaned, and tended, with the array of dolls and toys updated as they were when Nadine's parents tended it.
And if that doesn't bring a tear to your eye, dear reader, you have a heart of stone.
[Review 17333 overall - 192 in Alabama - 851 of 2022.] read more