Very often, these pioneer families would bury their dead on the far reaches of their property. Frequently, they would hide the graves in fear that the Indians would desecrate their departed loved ones. Sometimes, during epidemics and natural disasters, there were just too many bodies to be buried individually. Some families were too poor to pay for a gravesite in the better location and a stylish headstone. Immigrants brought their burial and funeral practices with them.
More personalized monuments seem to be coming back in style.
Both the decorative and the plain often have history behind them that needs to be told. I am not necessarily doing this for genealogical purposes. If I do provide some genealogical information to a family that is searching, I am happy to have helped. My goal is to have photos from at least one cemetery per county. This site will change periodically so keep checking back.