Monday 30 April 2012

McCollom

 Mr John McCollom was born in New York in Ostego County and married Sarah Sternberg in Cherry Valley in 1795. By 1807, when their eldest of five children was born, they had moved to Ontario. That son, John Sternberg McCollom, died at age 49 of injuries sustained in the Desjardin Canal Catastrophe in 1857 (after 3 weeks).
John Sr seems to be alone at the Waterdown Union Cemetery as his wife Sarah, who died in 1858 at age 88, is buried about 85 miles away at the Elgin Cemetery in Aylmer along with son John and his wife and son.

for a Taphophile Tragics

11 comments:

Lowell said...

Rather strange that the wife and son, daughter-in-law and grandson are buried elsewhere. I'll be there's a story there!

hamilton said...

actually, I wondered if maybe she went to their home in Aylmer after the train crash and stayed, then died...?

Janet said...

Interesting bit of cemetery history.

Paul in Powell River said...

Fifty years married and separated at death!!

Gemma Wiseman said...

Amazing how one story may give some answers but always inspires another series of questions! That rail bridge certainly has a sad history!

Sondra said...

It is a strange affair that she is buried so far from him..but the burial is usually left to the living not the dead, so It possible that she assumed she would be taken to lay beside him and then again, I wouldnt want to lay next to my X. So...

Herding Cats said...

what a fantastic post with a bit of the mystery. I shall read up on that disaster later. Thanks x

PerthDailyPhoto said...

It's been interesting reading the theories that your post started Hamilton, I tend to think Sondra might have something there, once we've gone that's it we have no say, but I tell you what if my ashes don't get spread from the top of the Eiffel Tower, I'm coming back to haunt someone haha!!

VioletSky said...

This is an awfully nice looking headstone.
And there doesn't seem to be any room for Sarah's name anyway.....

Julie said...

I am puzzled by the headstone. I have no problem with the content, it is just the lettering and the sizing. The mason seems keen to emphasis all the wrong words ... like 'born'. I guess he had not heard of the concept of white-space.

It is sad that the couple were separated in death, and they only died 12 years apart. Today I have found the coordinates for my maternal great-grandparents who are buried side-by-side in Rookwood Necropolis in Sydney. Ada died in 1904 and John died in 1939. I am going out on Sunday to find them. I am not really expecting a headstone. Poverty is a synonym for family where I come from.

CaT said...

now that makes me wonder, why are they buried separately?
and i agree with julie, the lettering is weird!