Tag: Headstone

The Beauty and Symbolism of Cemeteries in Fall

Posted on Posted in General, OctoberTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Cemeteries in the fall are my favorite.

There is just something magical about wandering through a cemetery bathed in the warm colors of autumn. So today on the blog, I explore how the crunch of leaves underfoot and the cool breeze tousling your hair as you walk among the headstones, creates a uniquely reflective experience.

  • Old Stone Church Cemetery also known as Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Beaverton ON ©2024

The Autumn Equinox

The stunning yellows, oranges, and reds herald the changing of the seasons and mark the transition from verdant green to withered rotting leaves. The falling leaves remind us of the cycle of life and that everything dies.

Autumn begins on the fall equinox, usually on September 22 or 23. The equinox happens twice a year in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring between the summer and winter solstices.1 It marks the point where the sun crosses the equator’s path and becomes positioned exactly between the Northern and Southern hemispheres.1 On the equinox, day and night are approximately the same length, but the fall equinox marks the beginning of longer nights and shorter days.1

As we lose daylight earlier, the yellow glow during the golden hour is intensified, creating a golden light that beautifully bathes the gravestones. It’s a photographer’s dream!

Gravestone symbolism draws heavily from Greek mythology, so it seems only fitting to share the Greek story of Persephone’s return, an anecdote used to explain why the seasons work the way they do.

In the story, Persephone was abducted by Hades and forced to live in the Underworld. Demeter, Persephone’s mother, searched far and wide for her daughter. Demeter threatened to make the earth a barren place until her daughter was returned to her.2

A deal was struck: because Persephone had eaten four pomegranate seeds while in the Underworld, she would return to Hades and live with him for four months out of the year.2

So when Persephone traveled to the Underworld to fulfill her four-month stay, Demeter’s sadness at being separated from her daughter was expressed by the barrenness of autumn and the winter cold.2

  • Knox United Church Cemetery, Sutton ON ©2024

Thinning of the Veil

The month of October can be considered the peak of autumn, with the fall colors reaching their most vibrant, usually during the first couple of weeks. The beginning of October is also considered by many to be the start of the spooky season, which culminates on October 31st, Halloween.

Halloween night is said to be when the veil between the living and the dead is the thinest. This is thought to mean that it is the one night when spirits can cross over the easiest to communicate with loved ones.

The idea of a veil between life and death can sometimes be found in cemetery art.

A draped urn, for instance, is a popular Victorian-era motif, borrowed from Ancient Greece. The Ancient Greeks commonly cremated their dead, and the symbol of a ceremonial urn was adapted to represent the idea of the body being reduced to its barest elements while the soul ascends to heaven. Often draped in a cloth, this drapery is thought to symbolize the veil between the living and the dead.3

  • Draped urn. Riverside Cemetery also known as Union Cemetery, Beaverton ON ©2024

Another symbol that symbolizes this concept is the gates ajar. This grave symbol was popularized by author Elizabeth Stuart Phelps in her 1868 book The Gates Ajar. The story follows a woman coming to terms with the death of her brother, who died in the Civil War. This symbol features an open gate, symbolizing that the gates to Heaven are not closed, and that departed souls can pass back and forth.3

  • The gates ajar. Williamsport Cemetery also known as United Brethren in Christ Cemetery, Williamsport ON ©2022

Halloween Traditions

As you might expect Halloween is celebrated all over the world. It is one of the oldest holidays after all. There are many ways to celebrate, the most obvious being donning a scary costume and going door-to-door for tricks or treats. But there are other Halloween traditions, older traditions that are practiced in all parts of the world.

It’s not surprising that some of them involve cemeteries!

In France, All Saints Day and All Souls Day are celebrated by children going house to house collecting flowers that they use to decorate graveyards and churches.4

To celebrate Dia De Los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, in Mexico families will have picnics in graveyards at the graveside of their loved ones, to remember and celebrate their life.4

In Portugal, wine and chestnuts are brought to feast on, in the cemetery.4

And in Rome, they celebrate Feralia, which is similar to the Day of the Dead in many ways. Families visit loved ones in the cemetery and also bring offerings for the spirits of their loved ones who linger at their graveside.4

  • St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Lively ON ©2008

The symbolism of gravestones, like the draped urn and gates ajar, echoes the stories of Persephone and the thinning veil between the living and the dead. As Halloween approaches, traditions around the world invite us to remember and celebrate our loved ones in these revered spaces.

So, this fall, take some time to wander through a cemetery, and let the beauty and tranquility inspire some reflection on the spirit of Halloween—the connections we hold with those who have passed, the stories they leave behind, and the traditions that keep their memory alive.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. The Equinox and Solstice | Met Office
  2. Persephone and the Seasons | Hellenic Museum
  3. Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards by Tui Snider | Book
  4. Halloween Traditions: How the World Celebrates Halloween | Medium

October Stone Stories: The Father of Zombies

Posted on Posted in October, Stone StoriesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

“They’re coming to get you, Barbra”

This is one of my favorite movie quotes, and it comes from the 1968, black-and-white independent horror classic, Night of the Living Dead. I even have a small piece of the Evans City Chapel framed on my wall. The chapel sits in Evans City Cemetery, which is where the opening scene of the film was shot.

This horror classic was written and directed by George Romero, the father of zombie films. This summer, I had the chance to visit the final resting place of this iconic director.

Photo credit: Nicolas Genin, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/ via Wikimedia Commons

George A. Romero

George Andrew Romero was born in New York City on February 4, 1940, and grew up in the Bronx. His interest in film began at an early age and he would go on to enroll at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh.1

After graduating in 1960, Romero began shooting short films and TV commercials, including an early short for the popular children’s show Mister Rogers Neighborhood.1

Romero’s break-out film Night of the Living Dead was revolutionary for the horror genre, and today is a staple of any horror film addict’s collection. This film completely reinvented the image of one of today’s most popular movie monsters.

Romero created the rules for a new kind of zombie. Now portrayed as reanimated corpses who hunger for living flesh. They are slow and shambling, with only one purpose. Silent, aside from their eerie moaning as they get closer to their prey. There is only one way to stop them—a violent strike to the head.

The film’s explicit violence and gore garnered negative reviews at its release, but today the film has amassed a cult following. In 1999, the film was deemed culturally and historically significant by the Library of Congress and has been preserved by the National Film Registry.2 In part for its social commentary during the 1960’s.

Romero would go on to write and direct other films, even directing a romantic comedy, but he always gravitated back toward the undead. He would go on to create a whole series of films set in the Dead universe; Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Diary of the Dead, and Survival of the Dead—his last film.

After falling in love with the city, Romero moved to Toronto, Ontario in 2004. He would shoot a lot of his later films in the city. In 2009, he acquired his Canadian citizenship, becoming a dual Canadian-American citizen.

In 2017, George Romero died in his Toronto home of lung cancer. He was 77.3 Romero is laid to rest in Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium.

  • George A. Romero, Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium, Toronto ON ©2024

Toronto Necropolis Cemetery

The Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium is one of the city’s oldest and most historic cemeteries, dating back to 1850.4 The fully restored cemetery entrance features high Victorian Gothic architecture which also makes it one of the most scenic cemeteries in the area.4

I was enthralled the minute we stepped out of the Uber. The grand cemetery entrance sets the tone for the beautifully forested cemetery within. It was my first time visiting this enchanting cemetery. Being unfamiliar with its layout, I used Google Maps to lead us. Of course, I was easily distracted by the elaborate and historic gravestones we passed along our route.

As we approached a densely forested section, we heard the screeching of a hawk. It sounded close and didn’t seem to like us encroaching on its territory. Luckily the grave we were searching for was a bit farther back in the cemetery. My fiancé stuck to the meandering paths that snaked around the grounds while I ventured into the rows to read the graves.

Although not quite accurate, Google Maps led me to the general area we were searching for. Surrounded by tablet stones and obelisks, sits the mirror-like black granite stone of George A. Romero.

The epitaph reads, “George A. Romero / 1940 – 2017 / He Loved, / And Was Loved.”

On the footstone is inscribed a quote from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “Now cracks a noble heart. / Good-night sweet prince; And / flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”

Although the cemetery was quiet that day, we could tell that many had come before us to pay their respects. Someone had planted two skeleton hands at the base of the grave, reaching up towards the inscription. Another skeleton hand, giving a thumbs up was also planted near the gravestone. Someone also left a little miniature zombie figure. The gravesite looked decorated for Halloween, even though we visited at the end of July!

George A. Romero, Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium, Toronto ON ©2024

Years ago, while collaborating with a community group dedicated to screening cult classics for charity, I envisioned hosting an event that would bring Romero to my small Northern Ontario town for a screening of one of his legendary films. Unfortunately, that dream never came true.

Although I never had the chance to meet him in person, to thank him for all the scares, visiting his grave and paying my respects was a profound and memorable experience for me.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. George A. Romero | Find a Grave
  2. Preserving the Silver Screen | Library of Congress
  3. Fans say final goodbye to ‘Godfather of zombies’ George Romero at visitation | CBC
  4. Toronto Necropolis Cemetery and Crematorium | Find a Grave

October Cemetery Stories: A Haunted Tower and a Pioneer Cemetery

Posted on Posted in Cemetery Stories, OctoberTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

During the summer, I wrote about a surprise road trip I took with my mother in Cambridge. This curated road trip, created by Guess Where Trips took us to exciting and spooky places. I shared a little about our Historic Haunts tour, but I wanted to keep some of the details a surprise at the time, so I could share this ghost story and pioneer cemetery visit with you now, in October.

So today on the blog, I want to share a little bit more about my visit to the haunted Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower and Doon Pioneer Cemetery and explore its rich history.

  • Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower, Kitchener ON ©2024

Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower

While looking for places to go for a walk, the day before our Historic Haunts tour, I found a hidden gem that had everything we were looking for—a walking trail, a historic site, and a cemetery. Little did we know when we visited that it was also haunted!

The Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower stands 18.9 meters tall, and peaks out above the surrounding trees. We could see its Swiss-style copper roof and the cute Conestoga wagon weather vane that sits atop it, as I parked my car in the nearby parking lot.1

The Tower built in 1926, was created to commemorate the arrival of the Pennsylvania-German pioneers who immigrated to the area between 1800 and 1803.1 Fieldstones that line the outside wall of the tower represent the tireless work they did to plow and clear the land for farms and homesteads.

Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower, Kitchener ON ©2024

At one time, it was possible to go inside the tower and climb its spiral staircase to the eight-sided observation deck. The view is amazing, as Bob Oberholtzer noted in a 2015 article for the Waterloo Region Record. Citing it as one of the most “historic views”, it’s possible to overlook the first four Mennonite farms that were settled in the area.2 Oberholtzer also talked about how they used to scare the girls who climbed the tower, not with ghost stories, but with childhood antics like shaking the stairs as the girls climbed up.2

Although the tower has barely needed any repairs to keep it standing over the years, the tower has been closed to the public since 2008.2 BUT, it is possible to tour inside, by special request.2 A sign on site has a phone number that can be called to book a visit to the top of the tower. I wish I would have known this when we visited. We made do by peering through the gated doors to glimpse the cobwebs and spiral staircase inside.

What we also didn’t know at the time of our visit, was the haunted history of the place. The story goes that a woman jumped to her death from the top of the tower. She was distraught and suffering from grief of the loss of her husband, who went off to war—but never returned.3

They say her restless spirit can sometimes be seen at the top of the tower, waiting for her lost love to return.3

Doon Pioneer Cemetery

The 98-year-old Pioneer tower sits within a small grassy field, right beside the Doon Pioneer Cemetery. This is the final resting place of the Schoerg and Betzner families and overlooks the Grand River.

Also known as the Schoerg/Betzner cemetery, this small burial ground is where the first settlers are laid to rest, who arrived in Waterloo Township in the spring of 1800. The small cemetery is filled with old gravestones and field stones, marking their final resting place.

Some of the gravestones are very worn, so I took the opportunity to try out a trick I saw in one of the cemetery groups I am a part of. By using a mirror to reflect sunlight, or by holding a flashlight at an oblique angle you can create enough contrast to make gravestones legible again.

I had a small flashlight on me, one with a small beam so it worked well on the smaller stones. I asked my mom to hold the flashlight for me, as I lined up my shot by looking through the small viewfinder on my DLSR. The deep shadows help some of the long-forgotten words to be legible again. The flashlight trick didn’t work as well on larger stones, because the beam from the flashlight is too narrow to illuminate enough of the stone. I would need a much larger beam for that. This trick of the light is a great way to reveal gravestone inscriptions while doing no harm.

Doon Pion

Doon Pioneer Cemetery also known as Schoerg/Betzner Family Cemetery, Kitchener ON ©2024

My mother and I both enjoyed visiting the memorial tower and the small burial ground beside it. We took our time taking in the beautiful craftsmanship and design of the tower and its history. At the time, we had no thoughts of ghostly apparitions in our minds. We didn’t experience anything supernatural. We just admired the Fieldstone Tower and all the toil and hard work it represented for those early pioneers.

After exploring the cemetery and paying our respects to the early settlers of the area, we made our way to the Walter Bean Grand River Trail. The flat gravel path meanders through the Pioneer Tower Natural Area taking you along the Grand River. The trail is dotted with educational panels, and the path eventually brings you to the Pioneer Tower Bridge.

On the opposite side of the bridge lies the Doon Valley Golf Course. On our walk, we didn’t cross but stopped at the bridge to take in the views. We sat for a time at a little garden roundabout, just before the bridge, admiring the flowers and wildlife. We were lucky to see a wild rabbit scurry across the trail.

The Memorial Tower was always in view during our walk, peeking out above the treeline like a sentinel keeping watch. A strong reminder of those who came before us. The whole area is beautiful, even more so now I imagine with the fall colors starting to emerge.

So if you are looking for a nice place to take in nature and enjoy some dark history, I think the Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower and adjacent Doon Pioneer cemetery would be a great place for a fall outing. Who knows, you might even see a ghost.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower | Parks Canada
  2. Descendant of Waterloo pioneers wants memorial tower open again | Waterloo Region Record
  3. Historic Haunts Tour | Guess Where Trips

Cemetery Book Review: Haunted Cemeteries

Posted on Posted in Book Review, OctoberTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Spooky season is right around the corner!

I have a lot of upcoming October content planned, so I thought I would officially kick off the Halloween season on the blog by sharing a spooky cemetery book review. It’s called Haunted Cemeteries: True Tales From Beyond the Grave by Edrick Thay.

Earlier this summer, I wrote a guest post for The Haunted Walk, titled Beyond the Headstones: 5 Surprising Secrets to Discover in Cemeteries. So when I was in Ottawa this summer visiting family, I made it a point to pop into the Haunted Walk office, on Sparks Street, to say hello. While there, I browsed their spooky-cute gift shop and this book jumped out. I thought it was a pretty fitting purchase.

  • Haunted Cemeteries book, purchased from the Haunted Walk shop in Ottawa.

Haunted Cemeteries was first published in 2004 by Ghost House Books, a part of Lone Pine Publishing. Ghost House has published a large series of books all focusing on local legends, ghosts, hauntings, and other unexplained phenomenon.1 Haunted Cemeteries is a collection of stories about the world’s most notoriously haunted cemeteries and graveyards. The majority of the cemetery stories come from the United States, but the book does feature two cemeteries that are located in Ontario; Drummond Hill Cemetery in Niagara Falls and Burkholder Cemetery in Hamilton.

Here is the book synopsis from Goodreads:

“Cemeteries are places of quiet repose where the dead are left to eternal rest. But some spirits refuse to rest in peace. Join Edrick Thay as he explores some of the world’s most notoriously haunted graveyards, both past and present, and interviews ghost hunters to discover how these eerie sites become charged with paranormal energy.

Plagued by nightmares, a mother has her daughter exhumed from Mount Carmel Cemetery in Chicago, only to make a shocking discovery paranormal researchers encounter spirits of wounded soldiers in Ontario’s Drummond Hill Cemetery, once the site of bloody conflagration when an archaeologist discovers a sealed tomb in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, he awakens a terrifying ancient curse at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, ghosts of celebrities from another era float among the decrepit tombstones Anomalous Luminous Phenomena, or mysterious lights that defy explanation, illuminate Silver Cliff Cemetery in Colorado Ohio ghosthunters descend on Camp Chase Cemetery in Columbus, hoping to come across the captivating Lady in Gray a high school girl, fascinated with the paranormal, encounters a particularly irritable ghost at Bachelor’s Grove in Chicago in Salem, Massachusetts, site of the infamous witch trails, a ghost materializes, still mourning his inhuman death”

  • Haunted Cemeteries: True Tales From Beyond the Grave by Edrick Thay.

Haunted Cemeteries features 19 stories and a handful of black-and-white cemetery photos. The short stories made this an easy book to pick up when I had a few minutes to read. I appreciate those types of books.

The book includes some more well-known cemetery hauntings, like Bachelor’s Grove in Chicago and the Egyptian curse of King Tut’s tomb, but also highlights some lesser-known hauntings and folklore. As an avid reader of cemeteries and the supernatural, discovering these new unfamiliar stories was a lot of fun.

Overall, this was a fun and easy read, and I enjoyed the ghostly tales that can sometimes surround cemeteries. Reading about ghost stories, legends and reputed curses from beyond the grave is always a great way to ease into the Halloween season—especially when it also involves exploring the rich history of cemeteries.

Thanks for reading! 

I am always on the hunt for cemetery-related book recommendations. If you are an author and have a cemetery-related book you would like me to review, please reach out at hello@chantallarochelle.ca. I would love to hear from you.

References:

  1. Ghost House | One Pine Publishing

Cemetery Recipes: Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Cookie Book

Posted on Posted in Cemetery Recipes, Tombstone RecipesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Over the summer I took a little break from making gravestone recipes, but I think it’s time to try another one. Fall is coming, so what better time to make chocolate chip cookies? They are always the best when they are still warm from the oven.

I came across this gravestone on reddit, posted by user ubercrabby. So, today on the blog, I want to try making Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Cookie Book gravestone of Jennifer P. Ferrante.

  • Cookie Book gravestone of Jenny P. Ferrante. Photo by Reddit user ubercrabby.

Ferrante’s red granite gravestone, found in a cemetery in upstate New York, is shaped like a book, with “Cookie Book” inscribed on the side. The recipe can be found on the back side of the stone.

Jennifer Peggy Allan Ferrante was only 54 when she passed away suddenly in August of 2019. According to her obituary, she was a consulting engineer for many years, traveled extensively, and loved spending time with her family and pets.1 She was also an avid baker and was known for her chocolate chip cookies, which she often shared with her loved ones.1

It seems fitting that they would honor her by inscribing her famous recipe on her gravestone for others to make and share.

  • Chocolate chip cookie recipe on the gravestone of Jenny P. Ferrante. Photo by Reddit user ubercrabby.

Here is the recipe as inscribed on the gravestone:

Chocolate Chip Cookies

9 to 11 min 375’F

1) 2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2) 1 cup Crisco
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar

2) 1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Combine dry
Combine wet then add dry

Making the Recipe

Although this recipe is similar to the famous Nestlay Toulouse recipe, also known as Nestle Toll House, there are some small differences—most notably the substitution of Crisco for butter, and the omission of nuts.

It also looks like there might be a typo on the stone, as it has two step 2’s, BUT it might not be a mistake. Both step 2’s contain wet ingredients. Is it possible that it is direction on how to mix the ingredients?

That is the way I read the recipe when I tried it. I mixed the dry ingredients in one bowl, and then in a second bowl, I mixed the ingredients from step 2. Then in the same bowl from step 2, I mixed the vanilla, eggs, and chocolate chips. I was a bit worried about the amount of chocolate chips, it seemed like a lot! When that was mixed well, I then combined the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, forming a nice cookie dough.

The ingredients consist of pantry staples so it was nice not having to make a special grocery trip to make this recipe. I was curious about the use of Crisco instead of butter. Crisco or shortening, is made from 100% hydrogenated vegetable oil and contains no water.2 It has a higher melting point than butter, so it tends to produce more lift and holds its shape better.2

I try my best to stick to the recipes as written on the gravestone and only make substitutions when necessary—like when ingredients are not available. That being said, shortening has no flavor, so baked goods made with it do miss that buttery taste that only butter can produce. If I made this recipe again, I would make the switch and use butter.

Otherwise, following this recipe was incredibly easy and was a quick one to make. The trickiest part for me was spooning the cookie dough from the bowls to the parchment-lined cookie sheets. I had a bit of a hard time getting uniformed portions so after the first cookie sheet was full, I put a little oil on my hands, to prevent the dough from sticking, and rolled the rest of the dough into balls for the second cookie sheet.

In the end, both cookie sheets came out the same, with the cookies spreading out into each other. I should have given them more space and used one more cookie sheet.

My worries about the amount of chocolate chips were also unwarranted as they didn’t come out a melty chocolate mess. These cookies are incredibly decadent, and delicious!

This is a tasty cookie recipe and easy to make. I can see how this would quickly become a favorite. It’s also a simple recipe with room for modifications if desired. I would make this one again the next time I am craving a nice chocolate chip cookie.

Have you tried this recipe? Or do you have another gravestone recipe suggestion I should try? I would love to read about it, in the comments!

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Jennifer Peggy Allan Ferrante | Find a Grave
  2. Butter vs. Shortening in Baking | Land O’Lakes

Pokémon GO: Are Gamers still Haunting Cemetery Grounds?

Posted on Posted in GeneralTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

This summer, I decided to download the Pokémon GO app on my smartphone to see if anything had changed in the game. I thought it might be fun to see if the game was still as popular today as it was when it first came out in 2016. I was also curious to see what I could find in the game while out visiting cemeteries.

Pokémon GO, the augmented reality game based on the popular kids cartoon, launched in early July 2016. The free-to-play mobile game quickly took off with kids, and adults, taking to the streets to try and catch’em all.

Using GPS and Google Maps the game points out local landmarks near you and encourages users to go outside, be active, and explore. Using the phone’s camera and augmented reality, the game makes it possible to see Pokémon within whatever background you point your camera at. Adding to the experience, the type of Pokémon you can find depends on the time of day, weather, and the landscape. You will more likely find water-type Pokémon near lakes and rivers, plant types in parks or forests, and ghost types in—you guessed it—cemeteries.

  • Pokémon GO screenshot

Controversy

Along with many Pokémon to catch, the game also features Poké Stops and Poké Gyms. Players, or trainers as they are called in the game, can visit these locations to stock up on free in-game items to aid in their Pokémon collecting or to strengthen their Pokémon.

These virtual locations are found at the sites of real-world landmarks; like murals, historic plaques, and memorials. This created some controversy from the beginning, as players who were keen to catch stronger and rarer Pokémon began getting themselves into some trouble.

There were many reports of some folks accidentally getting locked in cemeteries after hours, and large mobs of players congregating loudly in cemeteries, among other things. Some cemeteries and historic sites, such as the Holocaust Museum and Arlington National Cemetery have banned Pokémon GO on their grounds. Other cemeteries have followed suit, contacting Niantic, the makers of the game, to remove the Poké Stops and gyms from their grounds. Others have also placed warning signs, making it clear that playing on the grounds is not allowed.

  • Trafalgar Lawn Cemetery, Oakville ON ©2024

Pokémon GO was a fairly divisive topic when it was first released. Some argued that the game could be beneficial, bringing more people into cemeteries and historic places, and encouraging people to learn more about their surroundings and history. It was also argued that playing Pokémon GO in cemeteries allowed players to explore and talk about their feelings regarding death.

On the other hand, people argued that it was disrespectful and not proper behavior for a cemetery. The large gatherings were deemed to be disruptive, and those who ignored their surroundings were potentially causing damage or possible injury.

I believe these are all valid points. Cemeteries are the precursors to today’s public parks and were once the place to go for a picnic or a meandering walk in nature. I often say that cemeteries are for the living and should be visited and enjoyed.

Of course, it can’t be forgotten that these are also places of mourning and remembrance and should be treated as such. I have spoken before about cemetery etiquette and how you should always be respectful of your surroundings.

Are Gamers still Haunting Cemetery Grounds?

So are gamers still haunting cemetery grounds to catch elusive Pokémon? In my experience, no.

In the 100 cemeteries I visited this Spring and Summer, I was the only one who was trying to catch’em all. I don’t usually bring my smartphone with me on cemetery walks unless I am working on creating video content for Instagram. Otherwise, I only have my trusty DLSR with me. I did try to make a point to have my phone with me this Summer, specifically to play Pokémon GO. I was not always successful at remembering though. Though I did try, it never became a huge part of my time in the cemetery. I would open the app, catch one or two Pokémon, and then put it away to focus the rest of my time on photographing the gravestones.

I did make some observations though while scanning the game. Smaller cemeteries usually didn’t have any Poké Stops, but some of the larger cemeteries did. Larger cemeteries often have multiple meandering walking paths that would be suitable for walking routes. Routes are a new feature in the game, that was introduced in 2023. These routes are just small walking trails that vary in length. The idea is to encourage players to be active by offering free items on completion of the route.

The Poké Stops I came across were located at large commemorative memorials, or the entrance of a cemetery. I didn’t find any that were connected to individual memorials.

Civic Cemetery, Sudbury ON ©2024, Pokémon GO screenshots

Although it was a fun experiment, Pokémon GO will not become a regular part of my cemetery visits. I already have a long list of things I look for when visiting cemeteries. I found myself being more drawn to the game when I was traveling, especially when traveling by train. It was a fun distraction to pass the time.

I do think Pokémon GO could be a fun activity to encourage people to get more interested in history and the story of their community. As long as it’s done respectfully of course.

What do you think? Do you still play, or do you think you may download the app. I would love to read your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Stone Stories: Let’s Remember Adam

Posted on Posted in Stone StoriesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Back-to-school season is here in Northern Ontario. Summer break is over, and children are returning to the classroom. As parents get their young ones ready for another school year, school buses are also preparing to get back on the road.

Around this time, messaging starts about road and bus safety. It often makes me think of a big yellow and black billboard I would sometimes see on my travels. Although the billboard on Old Highway 69 is in bad shape and peeling now, I still remember when it had the smiling face of a young boy, imploring drivers to STOP for the school bus.
 
It’s time to remember Adam.

  • Portrait of Adam Ranger. Photo: Saint Annes Cemetery also known as Saint Annes Catholic Cemetery, Mattawa ON ©2023

Little Adam Ranger has become the face of school bus safety. How that came to be is a sad and tragic story.

On February 11, 2000, Ranger was struck and killed getting off the school bus in Mattawa. The school bus had stopped on the highway to let 5-year-old Adam and his older brother Alex off the bus at the end of the school day.

A pick-up truck tried to pass the school bus, even though the bus was fully stopped with its lights flashing and its stop arm fully extended. The truck swerved and missed Ranger and his brother, but the trailer that the truck was towing made contact, hitting Adam and killing him. This devasting scene happened just steps away from his home.1
 
Since that tragic day, Pierre Ranger, Adam’s older brother, has fought for amendments to the regulations for school bus safety.
 
2024 marks the 24th anniversary of Ranger’s death. 

Mattawa

Mattawa has never forgotten Adam. When my mother and I visited Mattawa last fall, we explored the Mattawa Museum which has a small exhibit about Ranger. It included the well-known billboard image and postcards that carry the bus safety message.

Ranger is laid to rest in Saint Annes Cemetery, also known as Saint Annes Catholic Cemetery. My mother and I paid our respects at the cemetery, admiring his lovely headstone. It’s a loving tribute to a life taken too soon.

Ranger’s black granite gravestone features a beautiful portrait of Adam, a small etching of the cartoon mouse Stewart Little, and an epitaph that reads “Playing with Pépère”. The base of his gravestone is cluttered with stones, tokens from those who have visited to pay their respects.

One gravegood stands out among the rest—a skull. It’s worn from the elements, it’s white paint chipped away. Deb Ranger, Adam’s mother, has said that Halloween was Adam’s favorite holiday. He loved it more than Christmas.2

Photos: Saint Annes Cemetery also known as Saint Annes Catholic Cemetery, Mattawa ON ©2023

Adam’s Legacy

Putting their grief and anger to work, the Ranger family created the Let’s Remember Adam campaign. Its mission is to ensure that all children travel to and from school safely each day and to remind motorists to STOP for the school bus.3

Ontario drivers illegally pass school buses more than 30,000 times per day, according to the statistics.4 There is a lot of work to be done, but Pierre Ranger is undaunted.

Let’s Remember Adam has been a big contributor to the success of the Safer School Buses Act, 2021 which has officially become law.5 As of the 2022-2023 school year, Ontario requires all school buses manufactured after 2005 to have the amber-red warning system installed.5 This system, which Ranger had been advocating for, for years, consists of a new lighting system that lets drivers know when a school bus is approaching its next stop. A set of amber lights will flash when the school bus is approaching its stop, signaling that it is slowing down to stop. The red lights then activate when the bus has come to a complete stop.5

The group has also successfully lobbied for stop-arm cameras to be installed on school buses, to identify those who don’t stop and pass illegally. Mattawa was the first community to have this camera system mounted on 19 buses in their fleet.6 This free system is available to any municipality that wants the added security.6 The ultimate goal is to have these stop-arm safety systems installed on all school buses in the province.7

  • Let’s Remember Adam bumper sticker. Photo: Let’s Remember Adam Facebook Page.

The Ranger family has been a strong contributor to bus and road safety, while at the same time keeping the memory of little Adam alive. Adam’s story is an important and timely one. I hope by sharing and remembering Adam, I can do a small part in spreading more awareness about bus safety and all the good work the Let’s Remember Adam campaign has accomplished.

I hope it will also be a good reminder to drivers as this year’s school season begins, to please STOP for the school bus.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. Twenty years after Adam’s Ranger’s death, family still fighting dangerous drivers | CBC
  2. Comment | Let’s Remember Adam STOP FOR THE SCHOOL BUS !! Facebook group
  3. Mission statement | Let’s Remember Adam
  4. Let’s Remember Adam
  5. Ranger ‘beyond frustrated’ by more incidents involving drivers who ignore school bus safety | Bay Today
  6. All municipalities can choose to outfit local school buses with no-cost smart cameras | Bay Today
  7. Ranger family remembers Adam on his birthday — and every day | Bay Today

Cemetery Road Trip: Guess Where Trips

Posted on Posted in Road TripTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

Who doesn’t love a road trip; especially one that is pre-planned for you? All you need is your sense of adventure, a full tank of gas, and someone to share it with!

I mentioned last week that I would share more details about the Guess Where Trips adventure that my mom and I did during our summer vacation. So, today on the blog, I wanted to introduce you to this fun company, if you haven’t already heard of them, and share a little bit more about how our adventure played out.

Marilu, the Travel Support Specialist at Guess Where Trips, gave me a Historic Haunts tour to try out for free, in return for an honest review. The Historic Haunts tour includes a couple of cemetery stops, so it was a perfect fit! This trip is a round-up of spooky and unusual attractions, leading you on a route full of haunted history and ghostly stories. My favorite kind of road trip!

Guess Where Trips

Guess Where Trips offers beautifully packaged, one-day surprise road trips that will take you to all manner of hidden gems in Canada and the United States. Inspired after creating a scavenger hunt-style road trip as a gift to her parents, Jess Off founded Guess Where Trips in January of 2020.1 These curated road trips encourage you to explore the road less traveled, while also supporting small businesses and communities along the way.1

Lots of meticulous planning and research goes into all 135 available trips. And they are working on creating new adventures all the time. On June 20th of this year, they released 13 new trips that feature Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana.

In a recent email, the Guess Where Trips team shared all the intricate work and planning that goes into designing their trips. A big part of their planning revolves around what they call their “magic map”, an evolving map filled with pinned locations that serve as a foundation for outlining their growing list of surprise road trips. 

I thought their magic map looked pretty similar to my master map of Ontario cemeteries. Although mine focuses on cemetery locations, there are a few hiking trails, and museums pinned on there. I use my map a bit differently, using it to track visited sites (the grey pins) and as a starting point for creating location-specific maps for my cemetery road trips.  

The Guess Where Trips Magic Map and the left, my master map of Ontario cemeteries on the right.

The Historic Haunts tour was the first ghostly trip created by Jess Off and her team and was initially most popular around the Halloween season. Today, all their haunted trips have become popular regardless of the season. Some of the other spooky trips they offer in Ontario are Weird and Wonderful Things, Spooky Sights & Ghostly Tales, Beautifully Haunted, and Hidden Gems of Huronia.

They offer an adventure for everyone! If haunted hidden gems are not your thing, you might enjoy one of their other themed trips. They have trips that feature wineries, and breweries, romantic getaways, scenic drives, and outdoorsy adventures.

My Guess Where Adventure

The Historic Haunts tour begins in Cambridge, Ontario which is about a 4-and-a-half-hour drive from me. So, my mother and I packed up the car and took advantage of the nice summer weather to make an overnight trip. We drove up to the tri-city on Thursday, with plans to follow the surprise road trip all day on Friday. Then we would drive home on the Saturday. This gave us some extra time to explore the area, so I found some other things for us to do as well.

Friday morning, after a nice breakfast, we opened our first envelope to see where our first stop would take us. It brought us to downtown Cambridge to explore the architecture and haunted history of some of its older buildings. With coffee in hand, we sat outside the beautiful stone building that was once a Post Office, and read the tragic tale of a torrid love affair that ended in suicide. Even though it was a bright sunny morning, it was still a bit spooky to be looking up at so much dark history.

  • Idea Exchange / Old Post Office, Cambridge ON ©2024

Our second stop brought us to a beautiful historic house and art gallery. We were a little early, arriving before they opened for the day, so we decided to explore the optional spooky abandoned spot that was just around the corner—The Doon Mills Ruins. 

Things got a little interesting at this point. The Doon Mills, originally built in 1834 have seen many tragedies, having burned in a fire not once, but twice! Today, many people report ghostly occurrences at this small section of ruins that sit at the trailhead. People claim to have heard ghostly footsteps or even heard their name called. Almost as soon as we arrived at the ruins, my mother complained of a burning wood smell. I didn’t smell anything though. My mom got a little creeped out when I reminded her that smelling burning wood was something many people experienced when visiting the ruins. 

  • The Doon Mills Ruins, Kitchener ON ©2024

We made our way back to the Homer Watson House & Gallery once it had opened for the day, and was given a lovely tour by the staff. They made sure to tell us the haunted history of the place when we told them we were on the Haunted History tour. It is a beautiful house with a very interesting history. After exploring the house, I just had to ask where Homer Watson might be buried. It just so happens that he is laid to rest in the cemetery just down the road from the historic house, so my mother and I made an extra stop to visit his grave and pay our respects.

Homer Watson House & Gallery and grave of Homer Watson. Kitchener ON ©2024

Remember how I mentioned I had found some other things for us to visit while we were in Cambridge for the tour? Well, that ended up mucking up our surprise road trip a little bit. The third stop on our road trip directed us to a haunted tower and an ancient cemetery. Well, it just so happens that my mother and I had visited this location the day before. It was a perfect evening activity as it checked a lot of boxes for us; a historic site, a cemetery, and a walking trail. At the time of our visit though, we had no idea the tower was haunted.

By this time it was also the lunch hour, so instead of visiting that location again, we decided to try one of the recommended restaurant stops. We visited the Borealis Grille & Bar to have some lunch and read through some of the haunted history of the tower we visited the evening before. After that nice rest, we opened our next envelope.

Our fourth envelope presented a choose-your-own-adventure opportunity. So it worked out that we had already visited the previous stop. This gave us more time to visit multiple locations on this leg of our road trip adventure.

We chose to visit Rushes Cemetery in Wellesley first. I was pretty excited to see this listed as the first optional stop. There is a very interesting gravestone in this cemetery, and it has been on my cemetery bucket list for a while. This cemetery is the final resting place of Henrietta and Susanna, the first and second wives of Dr. Samuel Bean. What makes this stone so unique is the fact that this tombstone is written in a crossword code, and it took over 100 years to decode it. 

  • The Bean Puzzle tombstone, Rushes Cemetery, Wellesley ON ©2024

After I took some time to photograph the cemetery we made our way to Fergus to visit the Wellington Museum & Archives. By the time we got there, we would have just enough time for a quick tour before they closed for the day. 

Once known as the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, built in 1877, this beautiful building now houses a permanent display of the Institution’s history, as well as a few changing exhibits. The permanent exhibit “If These Walls Could Speak” explores the lives of the people who lived, worked, and died within the walls of the Poor House. It’s not surprising this National Historic site is also home to a few ghosts. 

After we toured the building, taking in all the interesting exhibits and history we made our way down the road to visit the Poorhouse Cemetery. This cemetery sits at the edge of the property and was established for those who had no family to claim them. After we paid our respects at the cemetery, we headed back to Cambridge to have some supper and rest at the hotel. 

Wellington Museum & Archives, and the Poorhouse Cemetery, Fergus ON ©2024

Our Historic Haunts tour was a great success. My mother and I had a lot of fun exploring and learning about the community and local history. It was a great mix of haunted history, museums, and cemeteries. Although we did add a couple of cemetery stops to our trip, it made sense to stop in and pay our respects after learning so much about their history. 

I also loved the surprise element and the choose-your-own-adventure style. Opening each envelope was a fun addition that created a sense of anticipation. The multiple options also gave you the freedom to choose how your route was going to unfold. The restaurant and cafe options were also great additions, taking into account that you may get hungry or need a coffee break during all the exploring. It is so well thought out!   

I asked my mom what she thought of the trip and she loved that all the planning is done for you and that it was really easy to follow. She also loved all the history that is provided for each stop, her favorite being the tragic tale of love and loss at the Old Post Office. She loved the beautiful architecture but noted that we would have never known about its tragic history, just by looking at the building. She said it was a great adventure!

We had a great time, and we both would recommend these trips to anyone looking for a unique adventure. So if you are looking for road trip ideas, definitely check out Guess Where Trips and let them lead you to some fun and fascinating destinations! 

Thanks for reading!

References:

  1. About Us | Guess Where Trips

Summer Cemetery Adventures & Highlights

Posted on Posted in GeneralTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I have been slowly getting back into my regular routine after a fun two-week vacation. For today’s blog post, I wanted to provide a little recap of my holidays and give you a sneak peek of some upcoming blog posts based on my summer cemetery adventures.

I did quite a bit of traveling during the last two weeks, getting the chance to explore the Ottawa Valley and some of Southern Ontario. My fiancé and I spent some time in Ottawa visiting family and touring a bit of the city. Of course, I tried to fit in as many cemetery visits as I could. I had the chance to visit the grave of the Unknown Soldier on Parliament Hill and witness the changing of the guard. We popped into the lobby of the haunted Chateau Laurier to look at its beautiful architecture, and I even had the chance to stop in at the office of Haunted Walk to say hello and browse their gift shop.

  • The grave of the Unknown Soldier, Ottawa ON ©2024

After Ottawa, we made our way to Perth to visit some friends and explore a bit more. We explored the quaint little town and had to stop in at the Mammoth Cheese for a quick photo – I do love a fun roadside attraction. One of my favorite things we did while in Perth was take a short road trip to visit the Mother Barnes Homestead and the grave of the Witch of Plum Hollow. When I was planning our trip and saw how close we would be to Plum Hollow, I knew we had to take the opportunity to visit. The story of Mother Barnes is a very interesting one, full of folklore, politics, and witchcraft. The stigma of which can still be felt today. I look forward to sharing her story and my visit with you in an upcoming blog post.

Another fun thing I did on vacation was take my mom on a Guess Where Trips adventure. They sent me the Historic Haunts tour to try out, which just so happens to have some cemetery stops! We had a great time exploring Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo and its outskirts. I don’t want to get into too much detail here about our trip because I will be writing a full post about our adventures soon, but I will say it was a super fun experience!

  • Guess Where Trips

If you’re not familiar with Guess Where Trips, I highly recommend you check them out! They offer fun road trip itineraries that will take you to lots of hidden gems. They include interesting facts and stories about each location and great restaurant suggestions. Our trip took us to a haunted historic house and art gallery, mill ruins, a unique tombstone, and a haunted museum. We learned a lot on our trip, and I have a lot to write about for upcoming blog posts.

The last leg of our summer vacation took my fiancé and I to Toronto. We were there for the Sammy Hagar Best of All Worlds Tour. It was a great show, with Lover Boy opening for Hagar. While we were in town, we took the opportunity to hang out with some friends and do some exploring in the downtown core. We checked out a few board game stores, visited our favorite brewery, popped into the new location of the Prehistoria Museum & Store, visited the Monkey’s Paw, and tried an amazing new Mexican place. My favorite stop though, was our visit to the Toronto Necropolis.

The Toronto Necropolis has been on my cemetery bucket list for a while. Can you believe I had never visited any Toronto cemeteries before? This cemetery was high on my list because it is the final resting place of the father of zombie movies – George A. Romero. It’s also a gorgeous cemetery and one of my new favorites. This cemetery also holds some other notable graves and, I look forward to sharing my visit with you.

  • Toronto Necropolis Chapel, Toronto ON ©2024

In total, I made 19 cemetery visits on my holidays and collected a lot of content for upcoming posts on the blog. It was a great vacation and one that made me reconsider my career. If only I could make traveling, photographing cemeteries, and writing about them a full-time job!

I hope I piqued your interest with all the upcoming stories. Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog if you haven’t already, to get new cemetery posts straight to your inbox every Sunday. Stay tuned for next week’s post about my Guess Where Trips adventure.

I hope you also got to enjoy some time off this summer to explore, relax, and reconnect with friends and family. The season is so short you need to fit in the summer fun where you can.

Thanks for reading!

A Collection of Anchors

Posted on Posted in Collections, SymbolismTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 4 Comments

Every gravestone symbol and motif tells a story.

If you spend a lot of time in cemeteries, you will often start to notice the repetition of certain symbols. Throughout my travels, I have seen the shift in common cemetery symbols. What might be a common motif found in one area might be uncommon in another.

As I travel Ontario more frequently, I have noticed more and more anchor symbolism. So today on the blog, I wanted to look a little closer at this symbol, what it represents, and some of the examples I have photographed in my travels.

Sometimes anchors are found on the graves of sailors or those who have died at sea, but this is rare. The anchor is a Christian symbol and represents hope, steadfastness, and calm.

The symbolism is thought to come from passages in the bible, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” 

  • A Collection of Anchors
  • Espanola Cemetery, Espanola ON ©2021
  • Union Cemetery, Sturgeon Falls ON ©2021

Saint Andrew’s Anglican Churchyard, Grimsby ON ©2023

“Those without hope may be like a ship tossed on the sea…”

  • Bronte Cemetery, Oakville ON ©2024
  • St. James Anglican Cemetery, Gravenhurst ON ©2024
  • Allenwood Cemetery, Allenwood ON ©2023

You might also come across a female figure holding an anchor. The anchor signifies that this is Hope, one of the Seven Virtues.

The Seven Virtues are traits that some of those of the Christian faith aspire to. According to Tui Snider’s book Understanding Cemetery Symbols, this list of traits was created by Greek philosophers and then adopted by Christian scholars. Sometimes the virtues are labeled on the statue’s pedestal, but you must look closely at their design for clues.

Hillcrest Cemetery, Parry Sound ON ©2023

Have you ever found a unique version of an anchor symbol? I would love to read about your finds in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

References:

  • Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards by Tui Snider | Book
  • Stories in Stone: The Complete Guide to Cemetery Symbolism by Douglas Keister | Book