HONOURING THE DEAD - PART I

Lilly Jones

 "To understand a place, the people, beliefs and values, examine how they honour their dead"

I met Lilly Jones on my first walk through the Dunsmuir Cemetery.  I was puzzled to see her bending over a rock and painting a name on it.  Curiosity got the better of and I approached the lovely lady and asked if she was remembering a member of her family.  Turns out she was remembering all of the forgotten souls that lie in the cemetery.  They were never promised perpetual care and truth be told, the graveyard was in need of some TLC.

That is where Lilly comes in.  She has many family members buried there and was sure that a little clean up would make her and them feel good.  Local, Lilly and her son, Robert, are known as the duo who tend to the weeds and replace fallen stones and mark the graves where the headstone has long ago been destroyed or worn down by time.

Lilly does this all out of love.  No pay packet.  Just knew that helping discover lost loved ones would make her and others feel better.  She went further and bought flowers and crosses and markers to further bring a little brightness to the graveyard.  Along the way she made some discoveries and made friends of family members who were delighted with her efforts.

Single-handed, Lilly has got City Hall to back her efforts.  Placed headstones on graves that honour fallen servicemen and boy scouts.  Crosses were made to mark military and she places flowers in a holder attacked to.  She has poured through records and found the resting places of many where there was no marker.

When Lilly and Robert first started cleaning up, large parts of the graveyard were buried under mounds of debris.  Many of the dead were forgot.

Born when US was very young

 I took to this stone as the chap had been born in 1837, making him and one other the oldest buried in the cemetery. Long lived as well.

Colourful Headstone

 Lilly scours news accounts to find some of the graves.  The local newspaper gave no much more that the name and one wonders what sort of lady she might have been to gain such a moniker.

No Name but Details

Weed Kills

You Think?

My Final Resting Place?

Stay tuned for Part II...