Pine Grove Cemetery, North Grafton, Massachusetts
Memorial Day, 2008
Memorial Day was originally a time for the Brocklebank family to celebrate the birthday of their matriarch, my great-grandmother, Barbara (nee McGowan) Brocklebank, born 30 May 1871 in Johnstone, Scotland.
Even after the family moved to Paterson, New Jersey (1922), they would return to the Pine Grove Cemetery in No. Grafton, where Barbara's parents, her & James' first born son and other family members were buried.
Over the years, after Barbara's death (1939) and eventually the death of her husband, James Brocklebank (1950), the family would gather in No. Grafton to continue the Memorial Day tradition of visiting the various family graves, tending them to keep them lovingly maintained, and placing flowers on each grave. Then they would finish the day with a lunch together.
This tradition continues with the great-grandchildren of James and Barbara and this year was the first time that Jean had the opportunity to join the celebration of family by being there, rather than reading of the tradition...an experience that made everything real, vivid, and emotionally etched in Jean's heart from that day forward.
Each aspect of the tradition was experienced in joy and served once again to honor and keep the memory of our family alive (choosing the potted geraniums, travel to Pine Grove Cemetery, speaking to loved ones long gone, being with family still here, lunch at the Post Office Pub).
Even after the family moved to Paterson, New Jersey (1922), they would return to the Pine Grove Cemetery in No. Grafton, where Barbara's parents, her & James' first born son and other family members were buried.
Over the years, after Barbara's death (1939) and eventually the death of her husband, James Brocklebank (1950), the family would gather in No. Grafton to continue the Memorial Day tradition of visiting the various family graves, tending them to keep them lovingly maintained, and placing flowers on each grave. Then they would finish the day with a lunch together.
This tradition continues with the great-grandchildren of James and Barbara and this year was the first time that Jean had the opportunity to join the celebration of family by being there, rather than reading of the tradition...an experience that made everything real, vivid, and emotionally etched in Jean's heart from that day forward.
Each aspect of the tradition was experienced in joy and served once again to honor and keep the memory of our family alive (choosing the potted geraniums, travel to Pine Grove Cemetery, speaking to loved ones long gone, being with family still here, lunch at the Post Office Pub).