Graveyard Rabbits - Scavenger Hunt - Fraser Cemetery - New Westminster BC Canada

View of Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Fraser River beyond. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers, June 2009.

The topic for the July 2010 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is:
Scavenger Hunt!

For this Carnival, I chose to visit one of the graveyards nearest my home, Fraser Cemetery in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. This cemetery, operated by the city since the 1930s, was in use from about 1869 and, if you're someone who lives in the Lower Mainland here, you will recognize many of the historic family names represented in its burials. Originally there were separate areas, for instance, the Masonic, Oddfellows, Church of England and Veterans' sections. (The separate St. Peter's Roman Catholic Cemetery is right next door.)

I took off for a few hours there and just had a wander by myself - choosing some examples that appealed to me that day, taking photographs and making notes as I went. Although it wasn't the nicest day weatherwise, this cemetery has an amazing view, and it's nice just to enjoy that and the 'atmosphere'. An angry crow did try to keep me away from its territory, 'dive bombing' me until I moved on, but, as you will see, another cemetery habitué was much more friendly. This is a cemetery where people visit graves regularly, and locals walk their dogs, and even their kids, and where the cemetery is small enough that one can see a lot in any visit.

The following photographs illustrate my finds from the Scavenging List we were given: Cross, Heart, Fraternal symbol, Monument, Flower. Hand, Angel, Bird, Tree, Star, Obelisk, Four-legged animal, Photo, Military gravestone, Mausoleum. As you will see, I have taken some liberties with my identifications.

Crosses - CROWCHER graves, (Reverend Charles, 1917, and Gertrude A., 1933), Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Heart - probably for Clara FINDLAY (1919), but this heart marker is very worn. There is at least one similar heart marker from the 1920s, as well as several quite recent ones. The other marker shown here for Richard WOOD (1992). Others buried here are Scott MEREDITH (2000) and Dorothy WOOD (2006). Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Fraternal - Knights of Pythias - symbol 'FCB' for Friendship, Charity and Benevolence - SANDERS marker (1961), Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, Canada. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Monument - This is a very large stone - as tall as I am. Beth Wood was the first woman elected to New Westminster City Council (1949) and the city's first woman Mayor. Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.


Flower - Malvina NORMAN's grave (1931), Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.


Hands - Elsabe RISKE marker (1902, with husband L.W. on other side). Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Angel - a beautiful marble monument for Ella Jane KIRKLAND LYSTER (1875). Married in 1874, she had lived with her husband in Oregon, but suffered from consumption and returned to New Westminster to die. Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Bird - A guardian crow, Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.






Tree - I love this twig lettering on the zinc ARMSTRONG monument (1882, 1884), Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photographs, M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Star - BURR family marker, including Raymond William Stacey Burr (1999), star of Perry Mason and Ironside. Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Obelisk - Memorial to Ebenezer BROWN (died 1883, New Westminster), by his daughter. Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Four legged animal - a black cat - very friendly - and obviously very comfortable visiting in the neighbourhood. Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.


Photo 1 - DE LOS REYES grave, (2007). A free standing easel has a photograph on the front, with a photo and commemorative text on the back. Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Photo 2 - John T. STEIGERVALD grave (1997), Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.

Military - HOSKIN marker, Fraser Cemetery, New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010. There are a number of other HOSKIN military markers. Some may be related.





Lastly - Fraser Cemetery has no mausoleums, but does have this very modern new ossuarium (an in ground common 'vault' or receptacle for cremains), along with a new columbarium and wall space for memorial plaques. New Westminster, BC, Canada. Photograph by M. Diane Rogers, June 2010.


This post was written for the Graveyard Rabbits' Scavenger Hunt Blog Carnival.
Thanks to Julie Cahill Tarr, of Chicagoland Cemeteries, who came up with the idea for this Carnival for the Association of Graveyard Rabbits.

Graveyard Critters - The Graveyard Rabbit Carnival

The topic for the February 2010 edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival is -

Graveyard Critters!

This theme was suggested by Diane Wright, who authors three cemetery blogs: The Kansas Rabbit, The Wright Graveyard Stew, and The Grave Yard Rabbit Travels Wright
We were invited to post our photographs of cemetery critters.

Now I have a number of photographs showing 'critters' carved or otherwise illustrating cemetery stones - from doves to lambs and deer. I even have several showing horses. But all too few of my photographs show live critters of any kind in a cemetery.

The most memorable critter I've seen in a cemetery was a hedgehog in the Bassingbourn Cemetery in Cambridgeshire, England, and, no, this wasn't Spike the Road Safety Hedgehog. This was a real live little hedgehog. Again, no photo - I was too busy staring and thinking "Hey, it's Mrs Tiggy-Winkle!"

Back at home, I'm a city girl, and a Pacific Northwest city girl at that, so I think the live critters I've seen the most in cemeteries would be seagulls or those very cheeky crows. But they seldom sit still close enough for me to try taking their photographs. Many people here like to walk their dogs in local cemeteries. This is often a controversial topic, and some cemeteries have restrictions, but it's certainly not uncommon to see dogs (on leashes).

Whenever I can I visit cemeteries in the rest of British Columbia, though, and we are always warned to watch for bears and sometimes snakes. On a summer trip to the Whonnock Cemetery in the Fraser Valley last year, we saw evidence of a bear - if you know what I mean - but, thank goodness, no bear.

Last year, at the Anglican Church's Nicola Cemetery (established in 1905, St. Michael's Anglican Church) which has lots of high grass and holes in the ground, I was so busy watching out in case of snakes that I almost stepped into a whole mess of ants just outside a grave enclosure. This time I did take a picture, but if you can see an ant in there I'll be surprised. I can't, but I swear! there were hundreds - all were busy trotting back and forth in that one area.

CLAPPERTON Monument, Nicola Cemetery, (Anglican), British Columbia, Canada. John T.W. Clapperton, died 1913 and Rose Clapperton, died 1918. 2009 photograph, M. Diane Rogers.

Nicola Cemetery. 2009 photograph, M. Diane Rogers

Many cemeteries have attractive landscape features which may include 'critters' too. Here is a photograph of the beautiful heron fountain just inside the entrance to Ocean View Burial Park in Burnaby, BC, near where I live. (Herons are my favourite birds.)

Ocean View Burial Park, Burnaby, BC. 2009 photograph of entrance and fountain, M. Diane Rogers.

And just below, is a photograph of the most recent deer I've seen in a local cemetery. This photograph was also taken by me at Ocean View Burial Park in Burnaby in 2009.

I just couldn't resist!

The Graveyard Critters edition of the Graveyard Rabbits Carnival will be posted soon by the Association of Graveyard Rabbits on the Association's blog. Be sure to read the full carnival.

My Epitaph - Graveyard Rabbits Carnival - November 2009

In former times, it was the custom to write for fanciful conceits on the tombs of the dead. Acrostics, anagrams, rebuses and puzzles were frequently met with, and no doubt the mourning relative thought that they thus paid a high mark of respect to the memory of the deceased; but to what good end? Surely here in God's Acre, if anywhere on earth, true reverence and simplicity should be found. No skilful conceit of man can ever take the place of the Word of God, even though it be as pointed and direct as that quaint epitaph written in the form of an acknowledgement from the Great Mother

who will one day clasp us all to her bosom:

"Received of Philip Harding his borrowed earth, July 4, 1673.

from "English Epitaphs", by W. Everard Edmonds.¹ Victoria Daily Colonist, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Sunday, 2 June 1907, page 24. (Read the full article at the British Colonist website.)


The challenge for the November 2009 Edition of the Graveyard Rabbits' Carnival was to write my own epitaph.

'Plan Your Epitaph Day', an international observance for November 2nd each year, coincides with All Saint’s Day, often known as the Day of the Dead, and was created by Lance Hardie, "committed epitaph crusader and consultant".

This challenge wasn't hard as when I first published this blog, I included as a side piece a depiction of the epitaph that I hope is appropriate for myself - Most Days She Did Her Best.

Now it's true that, on the back, I'd like to see my dates and place of birth written and, if I could, a family tree showing at least my parents, grands and greats too.

But I'm set now on being buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver, BC, where my parents, my uncle, and my paternal grandparents and my paternal grandmother's parents are buried, as well as a good assortment of other family. I doubt there will be room for a big stone just for me!

1. The Harding epitaph, I believe, was from Crudwell, Wiltshire, England. See Antiente epitaphes (from A.D. 1250 to A.D. 1800) collected [and] sett forth in chronologicall order by Thomas FitzArthur Ravenshaw (London: Joseph Masters & Co.. 1878), page 127. Read this at the Internet Archive.

Reverend W. Everard Edmonds, born in Ontario, Canada, wrote several books and articles about Canadian history. After World War I, Edmonds, a high school teacher and an Anglican minister, was Editor of the Alberta Historical Review, the journal of the Historical Society of Alberta. "The Historical Society - early years 1907-1952" by Hugh A. Dempsey (Alberta History, Autumn 2007 - read on-line.)