A Levanius tombstone: Phoebe Florville was the wife of William Florville/Fleurville, Abraham Lincoln’s barber and friend.
Edward Levanius (1877-1970) ,who worked in Springfield for more than 65 years, was a master of tombstone art.
Born in Landskrona, Sweden, Levanius immigrated to the United States at the age of 16. Before he moved to Springfield, Levanius lived in Petersburg for several years.
As the owner of the Twentieth Century Monument Company, Levanius created dozens of symbolic monuments for grave sites in Oak Ridge and Calvary cemeteries. He did most of the engraving by hand until the invention of the pneumatic carving tool.
Levanius is buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery. His own tombstone is a simple headstone, unremarkable compared to his elaborate creations for others.
Source: April 2009 edition of Historico, the Sangamon County Historical Society newsletter
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