My brother, sister in law and myself started last week on a homage of sorts to visit as many of our ancestral resting places as we could in a short amount of time. They drove their fifth wheel camper from Okla and met me Billings, Montana, after my flight from Texas. We visited cemeteries where our father’s side of the family tree were located fist finding the resting places of Greats, Great-greats, Great-great-greats, cousins and uncles/aunts in Montana and Idaho before traveling north to Bew Westminster, BC. Our first stop was the New Westminster Archives where their search yielded nothing for our great grandfather. But the lady at the desk said it didn’t mean they had nothing. It just wasn’t in their database. The three of us spread out to find something….ANYTHING! After about an hour, my SIL found a book listing his burial plot information. However, we didn’t know which cemetery. I asked a very nice gentleman we had just met in the reading room if he could help us figure it out. He looked at the IOOF and stated, “That’s in Frazier!” After using the old card catalog with the references for Bowell Funeral Home, we had his full burial information confirming the plot record.
So we went to Frazier with a very limited map. Fortunately the caretaker was there and printed off the plot map. Within 3 hours of starting our research, we were at his grave site. Now we are looking to get a permanent marker. From what they’re telling us, we’ll probably have to get our proof of lineage so we can claim the deed to the plot. And then we can get with Fraser Cemetery about placing a marker unless someone else knows a little easier way of going about it.
Going back to see if there was any further input on my great grandfather, Arthur Alderson, it occurred to me I had not replied back to you comment directly. On the death certificate, I believe Sam (?) Bowell is listed as the undertaker. I will have to go back and find the death certificate to confirm the first name. The last name was definitely Bowell from the Bowell Company. The name on the DC as the undertaker is the same as the person who I read had dug up some of the bodies and literally 'carted' them out of the cemetery. Seeing as he passed in 1915, it would seem he was buried in the Douglas Cemetery as the Woodland Cemetery had its first internment in 1920.
Thank you again SO MUCH for your input!! Hoping to locate the his DC before leaving on our adventure next week. Still planning a trip to the BC archives to see what they have there.
Darlene
Maiden name LaRue, daughter of Gilbert and Anne LaRue of St. Paul, Alberta. Sisters Bernice, Vivian, Lorraine, brother George. Family business St. Paul Journal weekly newspaper, which she wrote for. Worked as a government telephone operator, sang soprano. Married November 20, 1934 in Vancouver.
Event Type: Death
Registration Number:1927-09-388633
BC Archives Mfilm Number:B13131
GSU Mfilm Number:1927350
Event Date (YYYY-MM-DD):1927-03-26
Event Place:ESSONDALE
Age at Death:66
Person:ALEXIS BRAT
Honestly, I had forgotten about posting to this site and the input from each of you is GREATLY appreciated. This coming year my brother, S-I-L and myself are planning a road trip to visit burial grounds and hopefully old home places of my father's people including my great grandfather Arthur Alderson. Thinking the library records for the funeral home will be an excellent place to search as well as the BC archives. I had reached out to the archives probably around 2014 when I posted here originally. The lady who I spoke with at the archives said there are records regarding to him in their files along with the original death certificate which I was able to access online. Our Dad had never known anything of his grandfather until the copy of his death certificate was found. Dad was pretty excited to have even that much information about his grandfather.
Currently we are planning our 'attack' to visit as many places as possible as most of Dad's relatives were in the Montana, Idaho, Utah and California areas along with in Canada. Researching prior to travel is necessary and if there are any additional suggestion, please share!!
I hope this information finds its way to Darlene so long after her comment. Yes Arthur Alderson died at the Provincial Hospital for the Insane in New Westminster on November 23, 1915. I have him on my list of likely (but not confirmed) burials at the Douglas Cemetery in New Westminster. He is not listed in the Bowell Company register as being buried by that undertaker. However, it is likely that he was buried by the Murchie firm. Sometimes the Death Certificate lists the undertaker and\or cemetery name. So look carefully for this information. If you have not found a burial for him at another cemetery in the Lower Mainland he is likely interred in the cemetery I am documenting.
The Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 was enacted on July 1, 1923. Section 18 of the Act required that ALL Chinese in Canada would have to register between the period of July 1, 1923 and June 30, 1924. The Act also stopped immigration of Chinese to Canada until it was repealed in 1947.
On June 30, 1924 a Chinese Immigration form 44 (C.I. 44) recorded "MAH FUNG GUN" at the "PUBLIC HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE ... NEW WESTMINSTER B C". The form indicates MAH FUNG GUN was a 17 year old Female, born in Victoria, BC. "This patient was admitted to the Mental Hospital November 27, 1923. Daughter of TONG SHEE-625 Herold St., Victoria, B.C." The registrar signed the form "F. W. Taylor", Title "Immigration Inspector". Place and date "New Westminster, June 30th, 1924".
MAH FUNG GUN's C.I. 44 form is among a series of 9 sequentially numbered C.I. 44 forms, who were all residents of the Hospital. All were dated June 30th, 1924 which was the last day of the period mandated in Section 18 of the Act.
A search of the Royal BC Museum Genealogy records showed MAH FUNG GUN's death was recorded
---cut-here---
Registration No. Registration No 1925-09-353604
GSU Mfilm Number: 1927304
Died on 1925-09-01
Place New Westminster,
Age 18
Person Fung Gun Mah
---cut-here---
I will add some of this detail to MAH FUNG SUN's FindAGrave Memorial. I or another interested researcher will have to visit the Vancouver Public Library to look up the record on microfilm at a future date to record any relevant information. It's possible it may record Miss MAH's actual birthdate, name of parent[s], medical information, etc.
WE FOUND HIM!!!
My brother, sister in law and myself started last week on a homage of sorts to visit as many of our ancestral resting places as we could in a short amount of time. They drove their fifth wheel camper from Okla and met me Billings, Montana, after my flight from Texas. We visited cemeteries where our father’s side of the family tree were located fist finding the resting places of Greats, Great-greats, Great-great-greats, cousins and uncles/aunts in Montana and Idaho before traveling north to Bew Westminster, BC. Our first stop was the New Westminster Archives where their search yielded nothing for our great grandfather. But the lady at the desk said it didn’t mean they had nothing. It just wasn’t in their database. The three of us spread out to find something….ANYTHING! After about an hour, my SIL found a book listing his burial plot information. However, we didn’t know which cemetery. I asked a very nice gentleman we had just met in the reading room if he could help us figure it out. He looked at the IOOF and stated, “That’s in Frazier!” After using the old card catalog with the references for Bowell Funeral Home, we had his full burial information confirming the plot record.
So we went to Frazier with a very limited map. Fortunately the caretaker was there and printed off the plot map. Within 3 hours of starting our research, we were at his grave site. Now we are looking to get a permanent marker. From what they’re telling us, we’ll probably have to get our proof of lineage so we can claim the deed to the plot. And then we can get with Fraser Cemetery about placing a marker unless someone else knows a little easier way of going about it.
Going back to see if there was any further input on my great grandfather, Arthur Alderson, it occurred to me I had not replied back to you comment directly. On the death certificate, I believe Sam (?) Bowell is listed as the undertaker. I will have to go back and find the death certificate to confirm the first name. The last name was definitely Bowell from the Bowell Company. The name on the DC as the undertaker is the same as the person who I read had dug up some of the bodies and literally 'carted' them out of the cemetery. Seeing as he passed in 1915, it would seem he was buried in the Douglas Cemetery as the Woodland Cemetery had its first internment in 1920.
Thank you again SO MUCH for your input!! Hoping to locate the his DC before leaving on our adventure next week. Still planning a trip to the BC archives to see what they have there.
Darlene
Maiden name LaRue, daughter of Gilbert and Anne LaRue of St. Paul, Alberta. Sisters Bernice, Vivian, Lorraine, brother George. Family business St. Paul Journal weekly newspaper, which she wrote for. Worked as a government telephone operator, sang soprano. Married November 20, 1934 in Vancouver.
Hi Brianna,
I'm also a Great-Great Grandaughter of George and Jessie Polden through their son Frederick Arthur Polden, though he went by the name George.
Event Type: Death
Registration Number:1927-09-388633
BC Archives Mfilm Number:B13131
GSU Mfilm Number:1927350
Event Date (YYYY-MM-DD):1927-03-26
Event Place:ESSONDALE
Age at Death:66
Person:ALEXIS BRAT
I have Juliana's headstone. It's been safe with me for a couple decades.
John is my Great, Great Grandmother's nephew. I was wondering if his stone is amoung the missing?
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR INPUT!!!
Honestly, I had forgotten about posting to this site and the input from each of you is GREATLY appreciated. This coming year my brother, S-I-L and myself are planning a road trip to visit burial grounds and hopefully old home places of my father's people including my great grandfather Arthur Alderson. Thinking the library records for the funeral home will be an excellent place to search as well as the BC archives. I had reached out to the archives probably around 2014 when I posted here originally. The lady who I spoke with at the archives said there are records regarding to him in their files along with the original death certificate which I was able to access online. Our Dad had never known anything of his grandfather until the copy of his death certificate was found. Dad was pretty excited to have even that much information about his grandfather.
Currently we are planning our 'attack' to visit as many places as possible as most of Dad's relatives were in the Montana, Idaho, Utah and California areas along with in Canada. Researching prior to travel is necessary and if there are any additional suggestion, please share!!
Again, Thank you all!!! DW
I hope this information finds its way to Darlene so long after her comment. Yes Arthur Alderson died at the Provincial Hospital for the Insane in New Westminster on November 23, 1915. I have him on my list of likely (but not confirmed) burials at the Douglas Cemetery in New Westminster. He is not listed in the Bowell Company register as being buried by that undertaker. However, it is likely that he was buried by the Murchie firm. Sometimes the Death Certificate lists the undertaker and\or cemetery name. So look carefully for this information. If you have not found a burial for him at another cemetery in the Lower Mainland he is likely interred in the cemetery I am documenting.
The Chinese Immigration Act of 1923 was enacted on July 1, 1923. Section 18 of the Act required that ALL Chinese in Canada would have to register between the period of July 1, 1923 and June 30, 1924. The Act also stopped immigration of Chinese to Canada until it was repealed in 1947.
On June 30, 1924 a Chinese Immigration form 44 (C.I. 44) recorded "MAH FUNG GUN" at the "PUBLIC HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE ... NEW WESTMINSTER B C". The form indicates MAH FUNG GUN was a 17 year old Female, born in Victoria, BC. "This patient was admitted to the Mental Hospital November 27, 1923. Daughter of TONG SHEE-625 Herold St., Victoria, B.C." The registrar signed the form "F. W. Taylor", Title "Immigration Inspector". Place and date "New Westminster, June 30th, 1924".
MAH FUNG GUN's C.I. 44 form is among a series of 9 sequentially numbered C.I. 44 forms, who were all residents of the Hospital. All were dated June 30th, 1924 which was the last day of the period mandated in Section 18 of the Act.
A search of the Royal BC Museum Genealogy records showed MAH FUNG GUN's death was recorded
---cut-here---
Registration No. Registration No 1925-09-353604
GSU Mfilm Number: 1927304
Died on 1925-09-01
Place New Westminster,
Age 18
Person Fung Gun Mah
---cut-here---
I will add some of this detail to MAH FUNG SUN's FindAGrave Memorial. I or another interested researcher will have to visit the Vancouver Public Library to look up the record on microfilm at a future date to record any relevant information. It's possible it may record Miss MAH's actual birthdate, name of parent[s], medical information, etc.
Pages