Cemetery WK051 in Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission Database. The gravestone for Sara Tefft was long thought to bear the date of 1642, which would make it the earliest gravestone known to exist in New England. A study of the original gravestone and of records of Sara Tefft’s life indicates the date is 1672, when she died soon after giving birth to her son Peter. Sara was the wife of Joshua Tefft. The original gravestone is a crudely inscribed fieldstone. In 1868 it was taken to the Rhode Island Historical Society for safekeeping and a slate replacement stone put in its place. The replacement stone has the following inscription: “Here lieth the bodie of SARA TEFFT Interred March 16, 1642 (sic) in the 67th year of her age.