As I was doing some research, I came upon this grave marker at the Riverside Cemetery, Wallace River, Cumberland County, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The story of Ella Morton Nelson(Purdy), read from a stone – a marker to remind us that there was life.
This stone, like all other stones in every cemetery, tells a story.
A baby, unnamed, was born and died in 1895.
Son Carlson G. dies in 1904, at the age of 11 – cause unknown.
Son Richard died on November 29, 1912 at the age of 27 from acute nephritis. He was sick for 10 weeks, developed an edema of the lungs and died.
Son Walter R. died February 29,1918 at the age of 17. It states that he was Highland Hospital in Amherst N.S and died there, from Paralysis.
Husband and father Arthur Nelson, a farmer, died November 14, 1918 in Hartford, Cumberland County, NS. He suffered from acute rheumatism with toxaemia, and after 6 days in the hospital he passed away at the age of 56.
Daughter Mona A. died November 12,1921 at the age of 34. She was single, lived at home and died of bowel obstruction.
Surviving son Noel B. continued to farm, staid unmarried and died at the age of 52, on March 16th, 1951, being struck down by Influenza A, after 3 days developed Broncho-Pneumonia and 2 days later passed away.
Wife and mother Ella Morton Nelson survived them all, living to a ripe old age of 96. She died January 6th,1956 from cerebral haemorrhage and arteriosclerosis.
These are just the facts I gathered. My mind can not even imagine the untold stories surrounding this family, the pain, the loss, ….
At the same time, this stone does not tell about the good times these men and women may have had.
There was a glimmer of hope, as I searched this family in the Canadian Census(1891,1901, 1911 and 1921),I realized there were 3 more children (Sadie-1890, Ernest-1896 and Eva, born in 1904).
I did find them, in close proximity in the same cemetery.It was good to know,that when Ella Nelson died at the age of 96, she was not alone – that she still was surrounded by some of her living children. A comforting thought.
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