Woman laid to rest after 92 years
Published Monday November 16th, 2009
Gladys Fowler placed with her family after being returned from England
SUSSEX - Sheets of cold rain pelted the hillside Hammondvale Community Cemetery yesterday as Gladys Winifred Fowler finally returned home to her family.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect, according to Jane Fowler Morse, Gladys' niece, who travelled to the Sussex area from New York for the funeral service.
"This whole day is surreal," said Jane, after the ceremony at the cemetery. "I think the rain is even appropriate for this sort of event."
The day marked the end of a strange mystery involving a coffin left abandoned in a crate in a London catacomb for the last 92 years. That coffin held the remains of Gladys Fowler, who died in London on April 17, 1917 at the age of 18. She was originally from this area, but the family went to London because her father was fighting in First World War. The family returned to North America after the war and Gladys' casket was supposed to be shipped home for burial, but never was.
The casket remained in the crate until three years ago when Barry Smith of the Friends of Kensal Green Cemetery, where Fowler's remains were located, became curious. They opened the crate and discovered a coffin inside bearing a plaque with Fowler's name engraved on it.
Two years ago Smith ordered the death certificate and learned about the dead woman's family. Her father was then-New Brunswick MP George William Fowler, at the time a lieutenant-colonel serving with the 13th Battalion Canadian Infantry during the final months of the First World War.
The hunt was on to try to find any living relatives of the woman who died during the war.
The long search eventually led to Jane Morse earlier this year. She and her brother John Fowler, of Pennsylvania, are the children of Cedric Fowler, Gladys' younger brother, who was in London at the time of her death in 1917.
The family was shocked to hear the Gladys' remains were still in London because her name is already on a tombstone in Hammondville, along with her father George, who died in 1924, her mother Ethyl Georgina Fowler, who died in 1936, and her younger brother Eric Fowler, who died in 1930. Everyone believed she was buried there and Jane and John even visited the grave site decades ago, thinking she was there.
Once it was determined who she was and what family she belonged to, efforts were made to bring her home to New Brunswick and have a proper funeral.
Air Canada flew the remains home at no charge on Saturday and yesterday the Wallace Funeral Home covered the cost of all the arrangements.
A private ceremony was held, followed by a public interment that attracted a big crowd, despite the bad weather.
Dozens of people from the community attended the ceremony, many holding umbrellas in an attempt to stay out of the rain. Military police directed traffic and kept the roads clear for the funeral procession. When the procession arrived, the casket was carried up the hill by soldiers from the 8th Canadian Hussars, accompanied by soldiers carrying flags, war veterans, several MPs and MLAs and a bag piper.
The short ceremony was presided over by Rev. Allen Tapley and featured some scripture reading, along with the singing of Amazing Grace.
Afterwards, the family said they were deeply touched by the event.
"There was unfinished business that was finished today," said John, as he huddled under an umbrella with his sister. "A book was closed for our family and we're grateful for that."
John became emotional when he talked about the support the family has received, from those who helped track down Gladys' relatives and helped get the remains back to Canada.
"I'm humbled by the Canadian people and the outpouring of support," he said, choking back tears as Jane gripped his arm to comfort him.
"It has been amazingly emotional and deeply moving that the Fowler name is here and we have cousins here we didn't even know and our grandfather is remembered so well by his unit and the people here," said Jane. "This was extraordinary, I don't have many words for it. The kindness of the Canadian people makes us feel as if we we're Canadians again."
Jane thanked everyone who worked towards yesterday's goal, including the media who generated national interest in the story, the MPs who worked to find a way to bring Gladys home, the funeral home and all the people in the local community who supported them and showed up for the funeral.
She saved the biggest thank-you for Smith, who travelled from England for the ceremony.
"He found our aunt in the crypt at the Kensal Green Cemetery and pursued it for two years," said the grateful woman, beckoning Smith to come stand next to her John.
Smith said the story began with the inhumanity of the teen being left behind after dying during the war.
"But 92 years later, it's the humanity and generosity of certain people, to bring Gladys Winifred home," said Smith. "It's been a privilege today after having her in our care for so long, to give her back to her family."
Smith said travelling to Canada for the service was important for him and provided closure.
"Yes, we'll miss her, there will be a place in the catacomb where we will always look and expect to see Gladys Winifred," he said. "But she's where she should be."
According to information on the funeral home's website, Gladys was an educated and modern young woman. When the family was in Ottawa during sessions of Parliament, she attended a women's seminary there and she also studied piano at the Toronto Conservatory.
In 1916, the family traveled to London to join George who was commander of the 104th Battalion and had previously left for England with his unit. While there, Gladys assisted the Red Cross caring for wounded soldiers and also continued studying piano in London at the Imperial Conservatory.
Jane explained the family was living in a row house, which was bombed, forcing them to evacuate and she was exposed to bad weather which made her sick.
She already had a heart condition, as a result of having rheumatic fever as a child.
The mother and daughter stayed at Berner's Hotel, where Gladys got sicker. Besides the heart condition she ended up with the measles and pneumonia and eventually died.
Allan Tonks, a Toronto-area Liberal MP who took an interest in this case early on, was one of the many politicians present for the burial.
He said the outpouring of support for this individual who was forgotten in a London catacomb after dying during war time is heart-warming.
"This is extremely symbolic of the way we should feel about all veterans and their families," he said.
While the mystery surrounding Gladys Fowler ended with her return to the cemetery, Smith says it's not the only unclaimed body at Kenzel Green Cemetery.
"We do have one more, a young American boy," he said, adding that the boy died in 1909 at 14 months old. "Maybe when we've recovered we'll see whether we can find his family."
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