I have just discovered (yesterday) that my great-aunt, Elizabeth Dargie Rankin, was a resident at Essondale in the 1930s, and was buried in the Woodlands Cemetery on September 21, 1939. She and her husband, my great-uncle, Fred Rankin, came to Canada from Scotland in 1919. They were witnesses at my grandfather's wedding in Drumheller in 1923, and after that, the trail went cold. I don't believe that they had any children. My great-uncle Fred died a few years later in Prince George, which coincidentally is where I live. We had no idea that a relative was buried here. Thank you very much for all of your work in honouring the people who are buried at Woodlands. If there is anything that I could contribute to your work, I would be more than pleased to do so. Thank you again and I look forward to visiting where my great-aunt is buried.
Hello Pam, I have been doing research for some time on the Woodlands Memorial Garden as a doctoral student at Simon Fraser University. I would be happy to share further information, and would love to know more about your journey. Please feel free to contact me on this thread- Pat Feindel.
I have been doing research on the Woodlands Memorial Garden as a graduate student at Simon Fraser University, and helping relatives locate more information. If you would like to talk to me please leave a message on this thread,
In 2006, my husband Hans born in 1953 the youngest son of Joseph Hans Rosenbeck spent quite a bit of time trying to track down his father's grave site. The more we investigated, the more we realized that we may never be able to actually pinpoint where he was buried.
Joseph was an enterprising young man and brought his family from East Germany to Frankfurt to Canada to built a future. He was a brickworker at the mine in Wells BC when he developed a brain tumour (the family felt it occured through two bad blows to his head - one while building in Germany when he fell and another when he was struck by a piece of wood).He was a bright, motivated young man and he began to have difficulty. The doctor sent him to Vancouver for treatment. He ended up in Essendale. That must have been amazingly difficult for him. Next his wife, Johanna, heard was that he had died. She could not make the trip to Vancouver as she had no means and no English (and she had a baby and a yound child). He died alone and his caretaker and family apparently attended his burial. We wanted to place flowers on his grave. I know it is so very late but.... we felt it was time he was honoured.
You have no idea how wonderful to see Joseph Hans Rosenbeck's name show up when clicked. He existed. I cannot wait to show his son.
Joseph Hans died away from his family. He had established them in Wells, BC and fell ill to a brain tumour. He was sent to Vancouver. They had recently immigrated from Germany and it was impossible for the family to visit. It was always his son, Hans' wish to lay a memorial or find his placart. We visited the area trying to figure out where he lay. Any news would be appreciated.
Thank you, Kelli Rosenbeck
Thank you for doing this I have just recently been doing my family research and George was my great uncle my Dads uncle I had no idea this happened where is the remains did they just leave all of them there?
Robert E. Bookhout was my great great grandfather. I have done extensive family history on him including a privacy and information request to obtain his patient file, which I received uncensored. I was aware of his burial there and was taken to the 'area' that he was interred, on a visit to the grounds in the late 1990's, but this is the first time I have found an accurate mapping of the cemetery.
It was a very moving moment to find him on your list. Finally he is not lost to us.
You have no idea how much this means to me.
Is the future of the cemetery in limbo?
I have heard news that they are closing the facility.
Also, have you a contact name/ number of someone that is overseeing the cemetery and/or may have more information that is accessible? I have long wondered why he was buried there rather than here on the island where his family is buried.
Thank you for your time,
Pam
i found this story both inspiring and humbling. I am inspired by the respect and conviction of the women who knew the importance of both knowing their ancestors and sharing, to the best of their abilities, their ancestors' story. I am humbled and awed by the people I met in this story; by their heart-felt, straightforward, hard-working, diligent lives; by their acceptance of life with its ever changing circumstances and challenges. I was deeply touched by truth in the quote from Ohiyesa, Santee Sioux about the potency and nature of Silence.
Since I started researching my ancestry years ago, the data I collected on g-g Joseph Gabara painted such a difficult and often sad life that I became immersed in the story between the lines. From losing his new bride and mother in Slovakia in the same month to cholera; to leaving his home country after the death of his eldest daughter from smallpox and reuniting with his sons in Canada; to working in coal mines in middle age; then a drought-stricken homestead in Sask; and, finally ending up dying in a mental institution from the "exhaustion of senile dementia." He suffered far beyond human endurance and that makes me sad. And years after he had passed---.the final insult--they tossed his headstone without a thought of the great man that lay underneath or any attempt to notify ancestors. Much love to you G-G Joseph.
I have just discovered (yesterday) that my great-aunt, Elizabeth Dargie Rankin, was a resident at Essondale in the 1930s, and was buried in the Woodlands Cemetery on September 21, 1939. She and her husband, my great-uncle, Fred Rankin, came to Canada from Scotland in 1919. They were witnesses at my grandfather's wedding in Drumheller in 1923, and after that, the trail went cold. I don't believe that they had any children. My great-uncle Fred died a few years later in Prince George, which coincidentally is where I live. We had no idea that a relative was buried here. Thank you very much for all of your work in honouring the people who are buried at Woodlands. If there is anything that I could contribute to your work, I would be more than pleased to do so. Thank you again and I look forward to visiting where my great-aunt is buried.
Hello Pam, I have been doing research for some time on the Woodlands Memorial Garden as a doctoral student at Simon Fraser University. I would be happy to share further information, and would love to know more about your journey. Please feel free to contact me on this thread- Pat Feindel.
I have been doing research on the Woodlands Memorial Garden as a graduate student at Simon Fraser University, and helping relatives locate more information. If you would like to talk to me please leave a message on this thread,
Pat Feindel
In 2006, my husband Hans born in 1953 the youngest son of Joseph Hans Rosenbeck spent quite a bit of time trying to track down his father's grave site. The more we investigated, the more we realized that we may never be able to actually pinpoint where he was buried.
Joseph was an enterprising young man and brought his family from East Germany to Frankfurt to Canada to built a future. He was a brickworker at the mine in Wells BC when he developed a brain tumour (the family felt it occured through two bad blows to his head - one while building in Germany when he fell and another when he was struck by a piece of wood).He was a bright, motivated young man and he began to have difficulty. The doctor sent him to Vancouver for treatment. He ended up in Essendale. That must have been amazingly difficult for him. Next his wife, Johanna, heard was that he had died. She could not make the trip to Vancouver as she had no means and no English (and she had a baby and a yound child). He died alone and his caretaker and family apparently attended his burial. We wanted to place flowers on his grave. I know it is so very late but.... we felt it was time he was honoured.
You have no idea how wonderful to see Joseph Hans Rosenbeck's name show up when clicked. He existed. I cannot wait to show his son.
Thank you.
Kelli
Joseph Hans died away from his family. He had established them in Wells, BC and fell ill to a brain tumour. He was sent to Vancouver. They had recently immigrated from Germany and it was impossible for the family to visit. It was always his son, Hans' wish to lay a memorial or find his placart. We visited the area trying to figure out where he lay. Any news would be appreciated.
Thank you, Kelli Rosenbeck
Thank you for doing this I have just recently been doing my family research and George was my great uncle my Dads uncle I had no idea this happened where is the remains did they just leave all of them there?
a clever man, and a so sad ending. almost 60 years before i found you again. i love you.
Robert E. Bookhout was my great great grandfather. I have done extensive family history on him including a privacy and information request to obtain his patient file, which I received uncensored. I was aware of his burial there and was taken to the 'area' that he was interred, on a visit to the grounds in the late 1990's, but this is the first time I have found an accurate mapping of the cemetery.
It was a very moving moment to find him on your list. Finally he is not lost to us.
You have no idea how much this means to me.
Is the future of the cemetery in limbo?
I have heard news that they are closing the facility.
Also, have you a contact name/ number of someone that is overseeing the cemetery and/or may have more information that is accessible? I have long wondered why he was buried there rather than here on the island where his family is buried.
Thank you for your time,
Pam
i found this story both inspiring and humbling. I am inspired by the respect and conviction of the women who knew the importance of both knowing their ancestors and sharing, to the best of their abilities, their ancestors' story. I am humbled and awed by the people I met in this story; by their heart-felt, straightforward, hard-working, diligent lives; by their acceptance of life with its ever changing circumstances and challenges. I was deeply touched by truth in the quote from Ohiyesa, Santee Sioux about the potency and nature of Silence.
Thank you for this.
Since I started researching my ancestry years ago, the data I collected on g-g Joseph Gabara painted such a difficult and often sad life that I became immersed in the story between the lines. From losing his new bride and mother in Slovakia in the same month to cholera; to leaving his home country after the death of his eldest daughter from smallpox and reuniting with his sons in Canada; to working in coal mines in middle age; then a drought-stricken homestead in Sask; and, finally ending up dying in a mental institution from the "exhaustion of senile dementia." He suffered far beyond human endurance and that makes me sad. And years after he had passed---.the final insult--they tossed his headstone without a thought of the great man that lay underneath or any attempt to notify ancestors. Much love to you G-G Joseph.
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