Jane C. (Chester) Coursen (abt. 1828 - 1910) Has TWO GRAVES?

Question

Jane C. (Chester) Coursen has two burial locations exact dates of birth and death with gravestones photographed on both FAG LINKS.

Which one is her correct grave site?

Comments

Perhaps she is buried in the one nearer to where she died — and is memorialised at the other site.

My great-grandfather died at sea and was buried at sea, but is on his father's gravestone.

Way too many people think that, because he is memorialised there, that he is buried there.  He is not.

(I had a "discussion" with BillionGraves over the matter.)

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I was thinking the same thing I believe I’ve seen this on Find a grave forgot the term they use where they link the memorial

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The term for a grave inscription mentioning someone who isn't actually buried in the grave is cenotaph.  I've seen quite a few of these; on the older graves they often specifically say "interred at" (placename) for the family members who are mentioned but not actually buried in this cemetery, but in some cases the only reason I know they're cenotaphs is because the person isn't listed in the cemetery burial records.  I would imagine this one (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5883416) is where she's buried, because as far as I can see she's the only person mentioned in the inscription.

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It'd be a tad difficult to term the grave monument for my great-grands as both gravestone (has two names of those buried in the plot (the baby has his own stone, to the side of the plot)) and cenotaph (one name not buried there).    The thing is a monster — like the one for Jane in Connecticut.

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I think it is perfectly normal for family to want to remember their loved one, especially if they already have a large family memorial ongoing, but the loved one died far away and is buried in that far place.  (Some have mausoleum memorials, too.)

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Yes that’s it cenotaph

Answer 1

It looks like this has been covered in depth already, but as others noted, the first FAG link is the actual burial location (New Jersey).

The second FAG link is a cenotaph for the Chester family which contains roughly 25 different names. On one of the pictures located on Col. John Chester's memorial, you will notice that it mentions that remains are buried elsewhere. Col. John's son, also a Col. named John, was buried away from the cenotaph in his own grave.