There’s an old church and cemetery around the corner up the road. On our way back from our walk a few days ago, John and I wandered around the gravestones – some dating back to the mid 1800’s – some as recent as a three weeks ago.
I found the headstone of a neighbour whose cottage is up the lane from our place. He had commented to his wife that the little cemetery was a peaceful place to be buried. For Christmas that year, she gave him the deed to a plot there! Little did she know that within the year, he would need it.
“Over here,” John called, beckoning me to another headstone. “Take a look at this!”
He pointed to a stone that read: MITCHELL. Erected by Walter G (b. 1918) and his wife Jessie Quinn (b. 1920) it commemorates their daughter Bonnie L (1945-1967). How sad to lose a child so young. We wondered why she died.
But the real story was the name under Bonnie’s. Someone had applied a dark mastic-like substance to try to obliterate it. However, if you look at just the right angle, you can still make out the raised letters: Joseph Vankoughnett.
A mystery in the graveyard.
But there’s more to this story. Watch for my next blog post to find out what.