I Like To Hang Out In Cemeteries And Visit Dead Celebrities

Yesterday, my Dad (who grew up next to a cemetery) and I went out to Fraserview Cemetery in New Westminster and had a wonderful time wandering around 150 years worth of tombstones, cause that's what cool people do.

This is also my new favourite skirt. I got it last week on sale and it is almost mint condition, I just had to secure a few beads and sequins that were coming lose. I love novelty prints and this one reminded my of The Three Caballeros, so it came home with me. I also finally found a straw boater, quite by chance, at my local sewing and notions store during a quick "oh my gosh, I can't believe I ran out of bright green floss" trip.

The major reason to visit this particular cemetery instead of one where some of my relatives are buried (which we did after but the camera batteries had died) was to see where Raymond Burr is buried. Mr. Burr is the most famous person to have come from New West, he even has a theatre named after him and he was the star of my favourite ever television show!

So, what other famous dead people are here? Well, beneath this obelisk lies Captain Irving, who's house is the oldest one in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and it is now a very interesting museum, which you should visit if you're ever around these parts. I also noticed that his grave is the tallest thing in the cemetery, including the trees. Methinks the late Captain thought very highly of himself.

And this new and very shinny tombstone marks the grave of Gassy Jack, which Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood Gastown is named after. When it says "Pioneer Hotelman" it actually means "Pioneer Saloon Keeper", because his bar opened to serve the workers of the first saw mill and thus encouraged people to move to what is now Vancouver.

This is my favourite tombstone, which is actually made out of metal, because it reminded me of Edward Gorey's introduction to PBS Mystery!

This is my other favourite one, because it looks like it is made out of wood.

A lot of the tombstones had spaces reserved for still living relatives in an act of wishful thinking. Yes, that Weeping Angel totally creeped me out and I did back away from it and didn't blink.

We did wonder a lot about the stories behind the people who were once living. Like with this grave, since Mrs. Hardie is clearly quite dead but why would she not want to be buried beside her husband?

We thought that this one was the funniest, because instead of saying "Beloved Wife of" it says "Wife of the Above". I guess they didn't like each other, but were just used to each other.

You can see more of my photos in this set.