Page 30 - Mary Willa Littler and "The Strangers' Grave"

ISSUE : Issue 71

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1996/12/1

thought, I'll call a funeral home and ask who the caretaker is of this Greenwood Ce? metery, because I'd never been here before. I'd been to some other cemeteries in Glace Bay, and really done a lot of legwork. In? stead of looking in books or making phone calls, I was looking. And so I spoke with Mr. Buchanan.... And when I spoke with him he said, "My mother's from Springhill. My mother was born in Springhill." You know, like you can't get away from Springhill, can you? You know, when you go somewhere, you always meet somebody else. So, he took all the details and then he said he would get back to me. Anjrway, I had just left Clark's house--well, I left Sunday, and on Tuesday he called them and said he found what I was looking for. (The grave of) William Burchell. (You find it really exciting to find these graves.) Oh, yeah. Oh, it is. What a feel? ing! Like this morning, when we were over here before lunch. I said. Well, 15 years I've been looking for this grave. Now I'm WE CAN HELP YOU REALIZE YOUR DREAM OF HOMEOWNERSHIP! FOR A MORTGAGE TO BUY, BUILD OR RENOVATE, kneeling on top of him! You know, I was looking at the headstone and trying to make sure that I was seeing everything that was there. It's clear, but I mean, you know, just--wow! what a feeling! The first mayor of Glace Bay was David M. Burchell. And this is David M. Burchell's grave right here. And here is William Bur? chell right behind him. And they are brothers. I've established that now. They're both the sons of Peter Burchell and Ellen--and there are Peter and Ellen's graves next to William's. (And it says on the gravestone....) "Killed at the Springhill Colliery Explo? sion, February 21, 1891, age 22 years...." (Is there anyone else in the Greenwood Ce? metery killed at Springhill, besides Wil? liam Burchell?) Possibly there may be, but there don't seem to be any records of his burial in this cemetery. His name is John Boyd. And he would have been Presbyterian by faith, as well as William Burchell, which kind of led me to this grave. Be? cause some of the other ones, being Angli? can or Roman Catholic, would have been in maybe some of the other cemeteries around this area. In particular I wasn't looking for anybody who was Anglican. But the fact that William Burchell and John Boyd would have been that same faith, it's possible that he might have been buried here as well. But there doesn't seem to be any in? dication of it yet. I haven't given up. I'm going to the Hard? wood Hill Cemetery in Sydney tomorrow.... I'm going to go over there tomorrow morning and see if there's something there. There's a John Boyd (living) here in Glace Bay that I'm in touch with today, who's one of the SEE THE LOCAL EXPERTS League Savings 8 Mortgage 235 Charlotte St., Sydney, N.S. BIP6H7 Phone:539-8222 A. / Ross RUDDERHAM PLUMBING & HEATING • VENTILATION SYSTEMS SPECIALIZING IN DEPENDABLE PACK-O-MATIC FURNACES Replacements also available in any make ot furnace! Sales & service for world famous ., • _ T TTZ T~ T' , '''' - V I 443 Coxheath Road Buderus Cast Iron sydney,nsbirisi coal, wood and oil fired furnaces ' Phone 562-3455 ?? Fax 562-6621 CAPE CARE SERVICES Quality Personal Care ('''s) ltd. "People you trust... ...caring for people you love' ~ AT HOME OR IN HOSPITAL - • RN's (and RN Foot Care Specialists) • CNA's • Blood Work • Screened • Bonded • Insured • Home Care Workers • Reasonable Rates /'Serving All' FREE IN-HOME ASSESSMENT KaElIl5l22J MHI!MII:kfJ.yA'JHM.M'i=f.l'.Ud=r??a 282 GEORGE STREET • SYDNEY • PHONE 562-2444 • FAX 539-7210

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