CAVENDISH, P.E.I. — The mystery of a headstone missing from a Cavendish cemetery is solved.
When Elwin Wyand, president of the cemetery board, stopped into the Cavendish Community Cemetery earlier this spring, he found a jagged hole and a missing grave marker.
“I never thought very much about it. I thought, ‘Whoever took it will bring it back.’ But it wasn’t coming back, wasn’t coming back, so I got the RCMP to check it,” said Wyand.
The missing marker, and the accompanying hole in the earth, attracted some media attention – first a write-up by Jim Brown on the Stanley Bridge community website. Then the story made it to the radio.
That’s how Jason Gass heard of the mystery, listening to the evening news on his drive home. Gass is the repairman for headstones in the area, he had the marker in his workshop, awaiting repairs.
The white marble headstone from 1893 was one of many that was tipped or broken in post-tropical storm Dorian in September.
In the storm's aftermath, Gass went through the cemetery setting right what he could. Then he took the “mystery stone” back to his shop to re-attach it to the base, planning to have it done for the spring.
Gass called Wyand as soon as he heard he was looking for the marker and the mystery was solved.
“There’s only so many of us that would have taken it,” said Gass, referring to the other headstone repairmen.
Gass said he’ll have the headstone fixed up and back in place by next week.
The Cavendish Community Cemetery began as the Cavendish United Presbyterian Cemetery in 1835. It is the final resting place of author Lucy Maud Montgomery.
