Ron Romano joined us at the History Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 for a talk about his newest book, Stories from Maine Cemeteries: Lives Cut Short. Thanks to Yarmouth Municipal TV, you can watch the talk here and use the window below!
Maine gravestones from the 1800s were decorated with snapped flower buds, broken tree branches, and cracked columns to reveal that those buried below died before their time. From lightning strikes to shipwrecks, accidents to disease―even murder―there were many causes for these untimely deaths. In his new book, Stories from Maine Cemeteries – Lives Cut Short, Ron Romano uncovers how mysterious symbols, epitaphs, monument forms, and cemetery landscapes tell the stories of those whose lives ended too soon. Books will be available for autographing and sale.
Ron is a national award-winning cemetery historian and guide, and is the author of five Maine cemetery- and gravestone-themed books. He’s designed tours of twenty historic cemeteries and has served on local and national nonprofit boards dedicated to the preservation of historic burial spaces and grave markers.
