Editor’s Note: Western North Carolina is rich with untold stories—many resting quietly in local cemeteries. In this Tombstone Tales series, we explore the lives of people from our region’s past whose legacies, whether widely known or nearly forgotten, helped shape the place we call home.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW.com) — In Asheville’s historic Riverside Cemetery, one particular mausoleum draws attention for what rests above it: a marble angel perched on the roof. She’s only fully visible in winter, when the ivy that covers her through the warmer months dies back and reveals her face once again.
The marble angel sits at the top of the McElveen mausoleum. In summer, she nearly disappears beneath the ivy. As cooler weather sets in and the vines die back, she becomes visible again, briefly seen before spring covers her in green once more…