The Mrs Mary Echols Rainey monument as photographed by Terina Boyd 10 Oct 2009, before the stone was chalked in Dec 2009.
Notice the green and gray mosses and lichens that live on this stone. Their presence there is good and bad. In a hail or ice storm they cushion the impact of the ice striking this soft stone. However, in rain they hold water and prevent the stone from drying causing expansion and contraction which ultimately weakens the stone surfaces. Maybe the effects cancel out, but there is a lot more rain than ice that falls.
"IN Memory of Mrs. Mary Claiborne Rainey nee Echals (Echols) Born in pittssylvania County Va. Sep 27th 1797. Died Feb 8, 1847."
This monument is on the ground. I don't recall turning this monument over to determine if there was an inscription on the side next to the ground. Previous researchers do list two inscriptions on this monument. Mary Claiborne Rainey & Thomas Rainey who was born 3 years after her. It is almost certain that the inscription for Thomas Rainey is face down on the ground and I will show this information reflecting that.
We can see several field stones in this photo. They probably mark not only the foot of Mr. Thomas Rainey & Mrs. Rainey's graves but also the head or foot of graves of other interments, unknown to us. This is not a full view photo and I can still see four fieldstones here two of which marks the foot of the Rainey graves. The others are unknown but chances are they are related to the Raineys'. The maiden name of Mary Rainey is spelled Echals with an "a" on the gravestone.
Photo by Wayne Austin. 21 Dec 2009.
Thomas M. Rainey, 17 Apr 1799 - 13 Mar 1859. (Inscription believed to be on the side of the stone next to the ground, unseen by this researcher as I did not turn the stone over.)
"IN Memory of Mrs Mary Claiborne Rainey nee Echals (Echols) Born in pittssylvania County Va. Sep 27th 1797. Died Feb 8, 1847."
Photo & inscription translated by Wayne Austin 21 Dec 2009.
RAINEY, Thomas M., 17 Apr 1799 - 13 Mar 1859.
RAINEY, Mary Claiborne Echols, 27 Sep 1797 - 8 Feb 1847. "Born in Pittsylvania County Virginia"
Transcription by Wayne Austin, 12 Jan 2010.
