Saturday, August 22, 2009

Cemetery Tours - Vancouver and Burnaby - August-September 2009

Woodward Mausoleum, Masonic Cemetery, Burnaby, British Columbia. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers.


Front column detail, Woodward Mausoleum, Masonic Cemetery, Burnaby, British Columbia. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers.

Cemetery tours are coming up soon in the Lower Mainland - at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver this Sunday, August 23rd, and on September 13th at the Masonic and Beth Israel cemeteries in Burnaby.

The Vancouver tours will be led by Lorraine Irving of the BC Genealogical Society and John Atkin. John is a local historian and Lorraine has been researching in Mountain View Cemetery for many years and is a very active member of the BCGS. Their tours are on Sunday, August 23rd at 10 am. Meet at 33rd and Fraser Streets on the south west corner - look for the red flag. $10. each. Pre-registration is not necessary.

These are the first in a new series of regular walking tours of Mountain View Cemetery.

The Burnaby cemetery tours are led by Maurice Guibord of the Burnaby Village Museum. Tours start at 10 am. $10.50 each. Please pre-register. You'll be given details then. Register on-line through the website or by phone. Burnaby Village Museum: 604-293-6500.

Maurice is a local historian, the Programme Co-ordinator at the Burnaby Village Museum, and also a BC Genealogical Society member. The Masonic and Beth Israel cemeteries are side-by-side in the Brentwood area. At the Masonic Cemetery, for instance, you'll learn about the architecture and the history of the Woodward Mausoleum shown in these photographs, while at the Beth Israel Cemetery, Jewish burial traditions and graves will be shown and discussed.

Watch for more information about future cemetery tours in the Lower Mainland.

Maurice Guibord discussing the Woodward Mausoleum in the Masonic Cemetery in Burnaby. Photograph, M. Diane Rogers






Tuesday, August 11, 2009

What would be an appropriate epitaph for Julia Child?

I've just finished reading Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, about the year the author, Julie Powell, cooked every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blogged about it all. I did find the book funny, although even Julia Child in person couldn't get me cooking some of these things (and perhaps Julia Child wasn't impressed with Julie's project anyway).

After Child's death, Julie Powell at first envisioned Julia with her husband Paul again toasting "whatever comes next" but at the end of Julie and Julia, she
says she thinks Julia's in a grave with a "cool headstone" and she gives her readers a guess what the epitaph is. Well, I immediately thought 'The End' since Julia Child was an author. No, that's not right.

According to Find A Grave, Julia Child's body wasn't buried. Her ashes were scattered instead, perhaps in Santa Barbara and Maine, USA. I see there are over 700 messages there on the Find A Grave memorial pages for Julia Child. That's quite a memorial in itself.

Now what would be a good epitaph though?
Maybe this - often attributed to Julia Child - "Life itself is the proper binge."

Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell (New York: Back Bay Books, 2005).

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Somber Sunday - 2 August 1888 - British Columbia Canada

Somber Sunday - 2 August 1888

For Sombre Sunday, I post deaths from British Columbia, Canada from the date of the first Sunday of each month as published in a selected newspaper or other source.

Today these are from the Victoria Daily Colonist, published in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Thursday, 2 August, 1888. See below for the link to the British Colonist Online website to read the entire articles.

Deaths Mentioned from British Columbia –

A report from the Donald Truth newspaper about the inquest into the death of William ARCHER, shot near Golden, B.C., and the arrest of Michael KENNEDY for the murder. Both were married men and ranch owners. Kennedy had apparently been a witness in a case against Archer which had involved a Mrs. WILLIAMS. Page 1

~~~
Johnny KLA-QUOT-SI “discharged from custody” in the DRING and MILLER case. [James MILLER and W.H. DRING were murdered near Chemainus in February, 1886.] The judge ruled the witness was not credible and also ruled Kla-quot-si’s confession inadmissable. QUAMLET, "the principal murderer,...[had] died in prison.” Page 1

~~~
Mr. T. ARGYLE returned from searching the Race Rocks area for the bodies of his son Tom and others recently drowned. Page 4

[Thomas Argyle, H.E. Leavitt SMITH, Arthur WILLIAMS and Abraham VANDERSLUSE were reported drowned while rowing to the lighthouse at Race Rocks where Thomas’s father was lighthouse keeper. See Victoria Daily Colonist, 31 July, 1888, page 4, for the initial report.]

~~~
“The funeral of the unfortunate Cyprian took place yesterday afternoon and was attended by a long line of carriages containing the ‘demi monde’ element, and some of their male friends.” Page 4

[This, I believe, was the funeral of Mabel Vaughan, who died 30 July, 1888. The newspaper reported her death on 31 July 1888, p. 4, saying she “for some years has been an inmate of a house of ill-fame on Broad Street...]

~~~
Impressive Funeral Ceremonies – a very full description of the funeral of the Very Rev. John J. JONCKAU, 1 August, 1888 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, including pall bearers’ names, etc. The funeral procession included the St. Joseph’s Society, Young Men’s Institute, Acolytes, Cross Bearer, The Clergy, Bishop-Elect LEMMENS, Rt. Reverend Bishop LOUTTENS, Pall Bearers, The Sisters of St Ann and The Orphans, then the General Public (shown in a diagram in this order). At the end of the service the casket was laid in the vault beneath the church – alongside the casket of the late Bishop Demers.

“Up to the time that the casket was closed, the features retained the calm, placid appearance of one in a gentle sleep, and showed not the slightest sign of decay....Mr. Chas. HAYWOOD had charge of the funeral arrangements throughout.” Page 4

~~~
Also rumour of a murder at Hequiot. Page 4


Deaths from Elsewhere –

Clarke River. Ontario – A report from Kingston that two men, Joseph and Louis ROSEL, had killed another man. “Drink was the cause.” Page 1

China – A report from Montreal – Dr William YOUNG of Montreal died in China. Dr YOUNG had left Montreal to practice in Hong Kong in 1878. He later accepted a position as “chair of chemistry” in Montreal for “one season”, but returned to Hong Kong. Page 1

“Frank HALL, the celebrated painter, is dead.” Page 1

Dublin, Ireland – "Aug 1 - Patrick BERRY, only recently returned from America, and now residing near Listowel, has been arrested on suspicion of murdering Farmer FORARN on Saturday." Page 1

Kentucky, USA – Dr. Robert MORRIS, the “poet-laureate of Masonry and the most distinguished Mason in the world”, died “on Tuesday morning.....Dr. MORRIS will be well remembered for his visit to Victoria about a year ago...” Page 2

Brooklyn, New York, USA – Dr Winslow I PRICE, “died on Sunday, aged 60 years.” Page 4

Bloomington, New York, USA - Bartley CAMPBELL, “the well known playwright, died at the Bloomington N.Y., assylum [sic] for the Insane.....” Page 4

Estate Notices

Re estate of W.E. BLACKETT, Nanaimo, Contractor – J.C. BLACKETT, Administrator. Page 3

Re estate of William Francis MORRISON, New Westminster, Hotel Keeper – W.H. FALDING, Administrator. Page 3

Related Advertiesements

Chas. HAYWARD – Funeral Director and Embalmer – Langley Street Victoria. Page 3

Ladies who wear Black by choice will always find the most varied selection at the City House. Page 4


This issue of the newspaper can be read at The British Colonist Online 1858-1910: http://www.britishcolonist.ca/

Somber Sunday, or, as we spell it here in Canada, Sombre Sunday, is a day to post obituaries or sad stories - the idea of Brenda Kay Wolfgram Moore who writes at Day-ly Genealogy Blogposts .


Sunday, July 12, 2009

Mountain View Cemetery Open House - July 2009 - Vancouver BC Canada

Harpist in Mountain View Cemetery's Celebration Hall courtyard, 11 July, 2009, Vancouver BC

Today, along with other volunteers from the British Columbia Genealogical Society, I attended Mountain View Cemetery's Open House. Mountain View Cemetery is owned and operated by the City of Vancouver and opened in 1887, but many areas in the cemetery have recently been renovated or rebuilt. There is new landscaping, new columbaria and new offices and a Celebration Hall. This event offered Vancouverites and others an opportunity to see those improvements.

The weather was glorious and everyone I talked to was enjoying the music, the tours, the new cemetery facilities and the chance to meet others interested in the cemetery and its history.

Some visitors were from old Vancouver families with many relatives resting at Mountain View. Others were new to the city and wanting to get to know it better. Quite a few were Mountain View neighbours and are accustomed to walking through the cemetery regularly - as one fellow said: 'this is our marble park'. And a few were genuine taphophiles - people with a passion for enjoying and learning about cemeteries.



British Columbia Genealogical Society and Veterans Affairs Canada tables, in the Celebration Hall, Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver BC. 11 July, 2009


Inscription sandblasting exhibit, Celebration Hall, Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver BC, 11 July 2009

BCGS volunteers, Brenda Smith and Cynthia Hamilton, Celebration Hall, Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, BC. 11 July 2009

Today the BC Genealogical Society had a table, as did Veterans Affairs Canada which has participated in several of the renewal projects for veterans' memorials at Mountain View.

We brought books and articles about BC cemeteries, including our own index of Mountain View gravestones, and we answered lots of questions about these and about family history research in general.

Our main aim today though was to interest Mountain View Cemetery visitors in joining a new 'Friends of Mountain View Cemetery' group. Many signed our contact list. We hope to encourage and support cultural programmes at the cemetery, including regular tours and the annual Night for All Souls event, for example, as well as heritage preservation and education at and about Mountain View.

I noticed that many were also interested in Veterans Affairs projects, especially the 'Valentines for Vets' project. What a great idea!

Mountain View Cemetery had a display showing how inscriptions are sandblasted and cemetery staff were on hand all day looking up burial information and grave locations - often there was a linelup for this service. I have a couple of Mountain View burial 'puzzles' myself, but I saved those for another visit.

Outside in the cemetery, Lorraine Irving, a BCGS member and long time Mountain View Cemetery researcher, and John Atkin, a Vancouver heritage guide and writer, gave group tours. These were well attended, and afterwards many came into the hall in search of further information about the 'Friends'. The City of Vancouver has a video on-line about the history of Mountain View Cemetery featuring Lorraine Irving and Glen Hodges, Mountain View's manager. As Lorraine says, a cemetery is "a museum without walls" and Mountain View certainly reflects the history of Vancouver.

Lorraine Irving is the real inspiration behind the 'Friends of Mountain View Cemetery' idea and she has plans for many different tour themes which we hope will become regular events. Right now, John Atkin has written two self guided tours - one on Vancouver's Mayors and one on the Princess Sophia sinking in 1918.

By far my own favourite among the recently renovated areas at the cemetery is the Infants section, formerly a communal grave area, which now commemorates about 10,000 stillborn or very young infants buried in the cemetery between 1914 and 1971 - most in common graves. In 2005-2006, this was landscaped with a dry stream bed - "One Stone for Every Infant..." where stones engraved with an infant's name can be placed.

This is now a very pleasing area and many today listened to music under the trees and then wandered through the paths here. Others, as you can see, took the time to place flowers on their family graves or simply sat and reflected.







Above photographs, Infants Area, Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, BC. 11 July 2009


All in all, a very good day. I do hope that Mountain View Cemetery's Open House will become an annual summer event in Vancouver.

If you'd like to know more about the 'Friends of Mountain View Cemetery' group, please contact me at canadagenealogy at shaw.ca



Thursday, July 9, 2009

Open House - July 11, 2009 - Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver BC Canada


In Loving Memory of Sarah Ann Saggers Born June 10, 1849, Kelshall, Herts, Eng Died Oct. 13, 1909. Thy Will Be Done.
Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, BC, Canada
(Horne 1-5-04-010-0009) Family collection; photograph date unknown.

Coming up this Saturday is an Open House event at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

There will be live music, various demonstrations of Chinese traditions and guided tours of the cemetery by John Atkin and by Lorraine Irving. Lorraine is a very active member of the British Columbia Genealogical Society and a long time Mountain View Cemetery researcher. Don't miss her tour.

If you haven't been by the cemetery recently, you may want to have a good look at the changes and improvements made at Mountain View in recent years - for instance, the new columbaria, the Celebration Hall and the nearby gardens with water features.

Cemetery staff are suggesting that on Saturday you 'picnic by the fountain' and help start a new summer tradition at Mountain View Cemetery. I'm all for this, although I know some are not so enthusiastic.

You may see me over in Horne 1 -5 -04 -010 -0009. Nowadays there are few monuments at all in that area of the cemetery but Great grandma Sarah Ann is buried there (and, I believe, Great grandpa too, although Mountain View has no record of him).

Mountain View Cemetery's website has a new look, but still features all the same useful information - including maps and listings of the burials,
along with a good bit of history.

The Mountain View Open House invitation says:

"After 120 years, it’s the beginning of a new relationship between the public and Mountain View, Vancouver’s only cemetery." Especially for those of us with strong family ties to Mountain View, it will be interesting to see what develops in the future.

Since 2005, the cemetery has hosted the Night for All Souls event which is now very well attended. I've written about All Souls before, and hope the summer event will prove as successful.

A number of people are keen to form a 'Friends of Mountain View Cemetery' group or committee. If you're interested, there will be a table for the Friends at the Open House. Be sure to come by and talk with us about this.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Bitterest Tears - Quotation - Harriet Beecher Stowe

"The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone."

from Little Foxes by Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe, published under the pseudonym, Christopher Crowfield, page 128. (Boston, USA: Fields Osgood & Co., 1869)
(Accessed at Google Books. Original from Harvard University, digitized 27 Nov 2007: http://books.google.ca/books?id=1OgRAAAAYAAJ )

Her grave is in Phillips Academy's Cemetery at Andover in Massachusetts, USA. She was born 14 June 1811; died 1 July 1896.
Her husband and one son were buried in this cemetery before her.

A description of her funeral was published in The New York Times.

MRS. STOWE'S FUNERAL; The Burial at Andover -- Her Old Home in Mourning.
4 July, 1896, Wednesday, page 4.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Somber Sunday - 7 June 1899 - Vancouver BC Canada

For Sombre Sunday, I post deaths from British Columbia, Canada from the first Sunday of each month as published in a selected newspaper or other source.


Today, two sad stories which were published in Victoria, British Columbia's Daily Colonist newspaper, 7 June 1899, although both events occurred in Vancouver, BC.

First, "A Murderer Let Suicide"

Donald Perrier, convicted of stabbing to death his mistress, Jennie Anderson (aka Rogers)1, in New Westminster, 30 November 1898, tried to kill himself on 6th of June with a pen-knife. Perrier had been granted a month's reprieve while doctors decided if he was sane or not. The newspaper reported that the knife he used "which was evidently smuggled in" to his cell was new.

He had claimed the killing was in self defence. According to the paper, Jennie Anderson had refused to continue as his mistress and he had followed her from Vancouver to New Westminster where she was stabbed in her room "in a house of ill fame".2

Perrier did recover, and was executed 30 June 1899 at New Westminster.


Second "A Sad Experience"

Another chapter is chronicled in the checkered life of Peter Deville, the famous French Pete, Klondike King and discoverer of the Treadwell mines. Deville is over 60 years old...." On visiting Paris where he was born he had fallen "in love with the daughter of an old friend of bygone days. The girl was but 20, very beautiful and highly cultured....Deville asked her to share his millions and become his bride."

Married six weeks before, they had just arrived in Vancouver when Deville's bride became ill and died. Deville "says he would give up all his wealth and become a beggar if it would bring back his wife."

Mina Deville died in hospital 6 June 1899 and was buried in Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery.

This post was written for Somber Sunday, or, as we spell it here in Canada, Sombre Sunday, which is a day to post obituaries or sad stories - the idea of Brenda Kay Wolfgram Moore who writes at Day-ly Genealogy Blogposts .




Notes

Note 1 The Canadian Death Penalty Index shows the victim as Annie Anderson but the death registration and all the newspaper articles I have seen call her 'Jennie'.

Note 2
This one quotation is from the Victoria Daily Colonist, 14 April, 1899, p. 8. All others are from the paper, 7 June, 1899. Located at The British Colonist Online Edition, 1858-1910</span>