We spent about an hour searching the Tottenham Cemetery searching for Grandma's parents graves (or any of her siblings) with no luck. I guess back in those days, people didn't keep very good track of who was buried where, and some didn't even have headstones if they were too poor. I was hoping we'd be able to find something, but it felt like searching for a needle in a haystack. It did however feel special being there...knowing that my grandma had been there long long ago.
Tottenham cemetery was so old and worn down. A lot of the head stones were tipped over or illegible. Even some of the stone was broken away and crumbling. As old and creepy as it was, I was surprised to see many people walking through with their dogs or just by themselves...not visiting a grave, just going for an afternoon stroll.
We also went to the street my grandma grew up on (Tiverton Rd). In her history she gives the exact address, but said that the house had since been torn down. We mapped to her address and spent a few minutes just being there. As I looked down the street, I realized it was just a short walk to the cemetery and remembered Grandma talking about how her Dad used to dig graves for extra money until her little brother died and then he was too sad to do that work anymore. I imagined him walking that distance to the graveyard...such a special thing to be there.
I don't know how I managed to drive around these neighborhoods without hitting any cars! The roads were so narrow and there were cars parked on both sides.
I miss my grandma and am so grateful for the heritage she and Grandpa have given me. I can't wait to see her again some day.
No comments:
Post a Comment