What does the word Pattern on a 1878 gravestone mean?

I have done a cursory research on this and cannot find anything. I do know that interpretation of some designs is arbitrary. There is a wonderful website with listings of books on the subject of gravestone symbolism.

The website is gravestonestudies.org and is the site of the Association of Gravestone Studies which strives to preserve the historical and artistic legacy of cemeteries and gravestones. You may wish to peruse this site and explore all the information they offer up.

I am sorry I could not answer your question directly, but I will continue to research for you as well.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.