My Soul is Among Lions

Throughout my extensive travels in cemeteries and graveyards, I've sometimes stumbled upon a gem - something distinct and extraordinary amidst the numerous gray squares, rectangles, and circles.

Such was my experience with the Haggerty lion.

As you drive through Oakwood Cemetery, you'll notice the Lyman Cornelius Smith mausoleum on your right, featuring towering Corinthian columns and large pedestals adorned with bowls of vibrant flowers. Look ahead for the Civil War monument, where a soldier stands high above, solemnly overlooking the rows of white stones. Head down a winding hill and around the corner to the right. Follow the grassy hills scattered with mausoleums and statues toward Dedication Valley until you reach the gray limestone Silsbee Chapel.

If you stand with the chapel to your left and gaze to the right, up a slight incline, in a plot encircled by trees and filtered sunlight, you'll spot the lion. A steadfast bronze guardian that has watched over Michael Haggerty since 1982.

When Michael was a child, much younger than the one who departed too soon, he was captivated by lions. He aspired to be a lion. What could be a more appropriate memorial to symbolize him?

The year was 1974. Michael was only fourteen when his life was tragically cut short in a one-car accident.

Years later, Michael's younger brother Thomas, then studying sculpture at Syracuse University, designed and crafted the lion at the family's request. The Haggerty family intended to place the lion at Michael's grave in St. Mary's Cemetery in Dewitt, NY.

Thomas worked at home during the summer of 1981. With guidance from the Chair of the Sculpture Department, the king let out its first growl.

When the Haggerty family approached St. Mary's, they encountered disapproval from the Diocese of Syracuse. A lion was not deemed a religious symbol by the Catholic church, so it was not permitted.

It must have been quite the shock to be refused. For the lion to stand at Michael's grave, it needed approval from another cemetery. Ultimately, the family selected Oakwood, which was close to their home.

They had Michael disinterred from St. Mary's and moved to Oakwood, where he was reburied in the oldest part of the cemetery, opposite the Silsbee Chapel. The lion soon followed.

If you find yourself at Oakwood, follow my directions to Dedication Valley. Walk up the incline and sit on the wooden bench, as I have often done. Reflect on the brief life of Michael Haggerty. Listen deeply into the quiet. Around the edges of silence, you might just hear the lion roar.

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Christine Shephard is a photographer, writer, and avid taphophile. She makes her home in Central New York.

Images captured by Christine Shephard Photographic Design and the written content cannot be utilized in any other format or publication without explicit permission.

This article was written with information gathered from The Daily Orange 11/2012 "In Loving Memory: Lion Statue Serves as Memorial...;

Find a Grave - Michael Charles Haggerty

Waymarking.com Bronze Lion.