On The Book Shelf...

One book in my home library that sees heavy use is "St. Stephen Rural Cemetery, Tombstone Inscriptions of Charlotte County", by the New Brunswick Genealogical Society; published by Picton Press (1996). While working at the Charlotte County Archives one cold February morning, I came across this wonderful book. Expecting to open the front cover and see that this book was long out of print, I was happy to see that the book was a little over a decade old and perhaps still still available from the publisher. So I contacted Picton Press, located in Rockland, Maine, and found that the book was still available (though no longer in print) with only a few left on the shelf. This book is a must for anyone researching Charlotte County. An index at the back of the book points to vital information and a section-by-section map of the cemetery makes locating plots very easy. St. Stephen Rural Cemetery is perhaps the largest cemetery in Charlotte County and his book is an essential tool in my library. A job well done by the folks from the Charlotte Branch of the NBGS back in the mid-1990s! Keep in mind that the publisher is no longer printing this book, but they do have a few copies left. You can contact Picton Press via their website, http://www.pictonpress.com/.

Happy Father's Day - Cemetery Book

I am not sure how many fathers would be delight to receive a book on cemeteries for Father’s Day but I certainly was! The latest book to my collection is “Old Canadian Cemeteries: Places of Memory” by James Irwin with photographs by John DeVisser (2007, Firefly Books. ISBN: 978-1-55407-146-3). This book is almost to big to be a reference book and plays more like a coffee table/picture book. However, don’t be fool. Mr. Irwin does a great job offering readers on the world of cemeteries. From burial methods to the various ages of headstones and headstone design. After reading this book, I discovered many items that I was unaware of. Thank you Mr. Irwin for delivery a very interesting book to us of "taphophilia" but a special thanks to my son and wonderful wife for the gift!

Old Canadian Cemeteries: Places of Memory”

Irwin & DeVisser; 2007, Firefly Books. ISBN: 978-1-55407-146-3

Cemeteries Also Preserve Our Heritage

By Leon Smet (Originally Published - 14 April 1982, Saint Croix Courier, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada)

Many people view the cemetery as a place to deposit the remains of the deceased and then forget. But there’s more to it than that. Although death is man’s greatest enemy, and many have gone through all kinds of sorrow to get out of this world, let’s look at cemeteries in a different light.

Cemeteries are beautiful places in the sense that the grounds are well-kept and the atmosphere is more like a park or a garden. In Charlotte County, we have some fine examples of gardenlike parks and places that are a joy to walk through.

Some of the interesting things are the monuments that have been created over the years. There are some very good examples of stones that are stories which tell of the artisans that have made memorials and also the personalities of the people they commemorate.

For an example of artistry have a look at the memorial in the Eaton lot in the St. Stephen Rural Cemetery that is cut out of a solid piece of white marble to appear in the shape of a sheaf of grain, believed to have been made in Italy by a prisoner.

               

The Eaton Lot

St. Stephen Rural Cemetery

The Loyalist Ground on King Street in St. Stephen is where many of the earliest Charlotte County residents were buried. An interesting feature is that some of the name may no longer mean anything to us now, but there were here. To some, the only way we could know is because of the marble monument carved with a stoneman’s chisel.

One example of the ingenuity of man is represented in the St. George Rural Cemetery in the form of Vermont Grey Granite. Its weight is calculated to be around 37,000 pounds.

Another is the Johnson stone, which is approximately 13 feet high, with a weight of approximately 20,000 pounds. It is a marvel even today as to how these memorials were places.

The Johnson Stone

St. George Rural Cemetery

The largest memorial Smet Monuments placed only had a combined weight of 16,000 pounds. That had a base length of 17 feet for the six girls who were killed in an accident at Rexton, New Brunswick.

All these memorials attest to the workmen of Charlotte County over the years. For a period of time, memorials were standardized, with the few companies mass-producing, resulting in so many stones which look alike.

Today, people are changing, not so much to ornate and expensive memorials, but more the personalized designs; designs that are more in keeping with the personality of people they are to represent and commemorate.

For example, we at Smet Monument’s have had sailing vessels for boat builders, fishermen and people who live by the water; farm scenes for people who spent their life tilling the land; horse scenes for people who loved horses; outdoor scenes for people who loved to hunt and fish and open Bible designs for Bible readers.

Another interesting thing in our cemeteries in Charlotte County is to read the interesting epitaphs. One interesting one reads “Remember me as you pass by, as you are now, so once was I. As I am now so you will be, prepare for death and follow me.”

Another reads “And I have hope toward God that these also entertain that there shall be a resurrection.” One inscription that we put on a memorial once for an Eastport, Maine, family had 344 letters in it.

Have you visited a cemetery lately? Why not go through and appreciate it at a time when you are not there, because of a loss in your family. A greater percentage of people are even prearranging their cemetery lot and memorial.

Rather than view a cemetery as a morbid place, look at it as a place that memorializes people and families, and reminds one there is going to be a resurrection. The interesting fact that most cemeteries bury with the feet to the East is another thing to think on.

Footnote: Leon Smet was the founder/owner of Smet Monuments. Smet Monuments continues to thrive and is located just north of St. Stephen. You can visit their website at http://www.monumentsonline.com/

"Where is that #&@$ Cemetery & Church!"

A few years ago, I started a Panoramio account with the hopes of sharing photos of local landmarks of historic importance. For those not familiar with Panoramio, it is a website that allows you to upload photos and plot them into Google Map and Google Earth. If you have ever used either Maps or Earth, you may have noticed photos that people have uploaded and are plotted to a specific location. This is all done via Panoramio.

Well, my good intentions lasted for a few months back in 2009 however recently I have rejuvenated my effort. My hopes are that researchers looking for a particular church or cemetery on Google Maps/Earth will find one of my uploaded photos helpful. For my own experience, I have spent hours roaming back roads in search of an old cemetery with little data offered from the internet. So, over this summer I intend to upload and plot as many photos of cemeteries, churches and landmarks as possible.

You can check out my Panoramio account by visiting http://www.panoramio.com/user/2632673