Thursday, March 19, 2009

Where Izannah Is Buried

Monica Bessette left the following comment in regards to the previous entry (I have edited out one phrase). And the find was courtesy of Diane. Thanks, Diane! And thanks Monica for sharing the information you know.

Hi Dixie,

Izannah is buried in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, RI, a beautifully landscaped cemetery which is not far from her final home in Central Falls, RI.

During the late 1800's there was a movement away from family and church burial grounds to the more elaborate, park-like cemeteries befitting our well-to-do citizens.

She is buried along side her best friend, Emeline Whipple. I'm not sure if Izanah made these arrangements or Emeline, and have always wondered about the implications of two women being buried side by side. Izannah died first, so she may not have had a say in it, but I can't imagine that either!

The cemetery in Somerset is the family plot, and she may have had every intention to be buried there, but she left Somerset during the 1850's and probably changed her mind about that being her final resting place.

Good find!

Monica Bessette
The Search for Izannah Walker

2 comments:

  1. WOW how very interesting indeed!!!!!!!! Thank You Moinca, Dixie and friend!!!
    Hugs,
    Jackie

    ReplyDelete
  2. The idea of the two women buried together could mean a couple of things:

    Did Whipple have any family? It could be that simply put, she herself had none and Izannah was the closest thing she had to a sister or family member to be buried with.

    Really, who would want to be stuck just 'somewhere' in a time when being placed with family was the norm?

    Or, perhaps she and Izannah were partners. This is just as logical. It wouldn't have been advertised then, because it was illegal to be an openly practicing homosexual.

    I personally think the two women were probably life partners. More common then than we all seem to think in our modern sentiments.

    ReplyDelete

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