This tomb isn’t especially remarkable outside of New Orleans. Holding two coffins at a time, it sits at the back of St. Louis No. 3, unassuming along the main thoroughfare.

Even the strange photographs along the front aren’t unique to our area; many of the old families personalized their tombs with photos of their loved ones:

Click the photo, then ‘all sizes’ to zoom in on the photos.

But the stories they tell drew me to this particular family.

They emmigrated from their tiny town on the Adriatic, taking their young sons, and came to New Orleans. The younger son died at only 4 years old, while the older boy grew and ultimately was accepted into Tulane, where he died in an accident 2 days after graduating with honors. It’s a photo of him in his cap and gown that adorns the grave and makes it all so poignant.

The Velas obviously have family who’ve survived to tend the tomb as evidenced by the (fake but relatively new) flowers on this random spring day.