Thursday, September 25, 2008

Second Wives Get the Last Word

One of the main purposes for this trip was family history, so when we got into Toronto, the first thing we did was to go find the Park Lawn Cemetery. Being from a small town, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. The thing was huge. Despite there being a large mausoleum in the middle, we still found ourselves lost, without being able to find either the large building, or even the edge of the cemetery!
We quickly abandoned that project until the next day, when the offices were open. They told us that Edward Thomas Swain, his wife Clara Charlotte Cooper, their sons Godfrey and Harold Albert Gordon Swain, and Harold's wife Ethel Banks were all buried in two adjoining plots. (For those not of my bloodlines, that means my great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents.)
Jackpot! I was so excited. So we found the place, found Harold Albert Gordon Swain's grave, took a picture, and then looked for the others.
Well, there were no others. He was the only one who got a headstone. Edward Thomas and Clara are on the other side, where the headstone is blank, and Godfrey (a baby) is at their heads.

And Harold's headstone reads, "Harold A. Swain, Beloved Husband of Jean Huntley." Jean would be his second wife. But it makes no mention at all of his first wife, who happens to be buried right beside him. Ouch.

1 comments:

JaMiEj said...

So did the first wife request to be buried to the husband? How did she end up there when the second wife obviously buried the guy? Or hmm.. did she die first?
Have I mentioned that I really LOVE your haircut? You are so adorably cute!!!