I never thought I would ever visit a cemetery. It is an odd thing to visit a cemetery where there is no one who you knew. I hardly saw these sacred places for the dead as a tourist attraction for the living.
I believe the first cemetery tour where I intentionally had us visit was Drummond Hill Cemetery in Niagara Falls. We had been bitten by the travel bug and discovered that there is a lot to do in the Niagara Region of Ontario. This Drummond Hill was also the first battleground we would visit.
The Battle of Lundy Lane was important in the War of 1812 between the invading Americans and the defending British (future Canadians). Today, it is both a cemetery and a memorial to those who perished in the battle. As we toured the grounds, we learned about the people buried there and the events that also unfolded in the battle, and the war. I never thought that a graveyard would be an enjoyable experience.
Slowly, we started to add cemeteries to our travel plans. It was interesting to see the art that marks someone’s burial. It also adds value to our travels when we tour a site about a person and then visit their grave. There there is also the solemn sorrow of the place. Reading the headstones and seeing someone only live hours or days, we can feel the pain of their trouble. Or when we visit a gravesite of Union, Confederate, American or British/Canadian dead, to know that they died fighting for a cause and they never knew the outcome of their sacrifice, would they think it was worth it?
Most cemeteries are rather standard. Modern grounds limit the size and shape of tombstones and because of this, I believe it limits the final expression of personality an individual had. It is the older sites that seem to have more touristic/emotional value. Cities where wealthy individuals lived have the grandest monuments. We would tour these to see how they will be remembered.
But then I recall the poem called “The Dash” that was read at my father-in-law’s funeral. Most headstones, including those of the rich, famous, infamous and powerful, only have a name and that dash between their birthdate and deathdate. If it wasn’t for the internet, we would know nothing about why a certain person has such a grand monument, but for most who lived ordinary lives, nothing can be found about them. The headstone is the only proof that a person once lived. I see visiting gravesites as a means to remember those who are in danger of being forgotten since family and friends have all died.
Sad.
Below are some of the cemeteries we have visited. As with places to honour the dead, respect needs to be shown to the site and for those interned.
Drummond Hill/Battle of Lundy Lane – Visited July 14, 2017
Our first cemetery and battlefield. Here we learned the events that shaped people’s lives. We spent far more time at this location than expected as we absorbed all it had to offer.
Webster’s Family Cemetery – Visited August 23, 2017
A small family plot on the site of a long-gone homestead. It is located at a popular waterfall and scenic overlook.
