The Mystery of the Snellville Historical Cemetery Mannequin

When you drive down Highway 78, past the Snellville Historical Cemetery, you may have been somewhat shocked to see what appears to be a soldier standing guard over a grave.

I received an inquiry about this mysterious figure a few weeks ago. The person who asked about it was a little concerned that she was either a) seeing things that weren't really there or b) seeing something equally odd that was there. 

Turns out it's choice B. If you're driving in the rain, in the dark, or without your glasses, seeing the figure might be somewhat jarring. But, after Nancy Drew-ing around a little bit, I discovered it's not as bizarre as it first appears. 

It's a painted statue. And it's fairly new to the cemetery. It stands watch over a man who passed away in late November of 2012 at 67 years of age; there isn't even a headstone in place yet. A few people have mentioned that it seems to appear at different locations; I'm not sure if that's possible, since it seems pretty solidly in place, but it's possible that it just hadn't been put in its permanent spot yet. 

I have bits and pieces, but haven't heard from the family yet to discuss the story behind the statue. If you have any other information you would like to share, tell us in the comments!

(Editor's note, Feb. 6, 8 p.m.: we're having some technical difficulties with comments. If you're not logged in, you can't see all the comments. I don't know why, hopefully it will be cleared up soon.)