"The funeral was set for 5 pm. Mr. Gass had told me earlier that only the English clergy was allowed to officiate in the cemetery; no out-of-towner. But Mr. Stoll gave a little meditation in English at the casket, on the porch where the mission Brothers and Sisters Stoll, Gass and Wiens had joined us mourners. Then began the heavy, heavy walk to the cemetery – through the city, past walkers, market people, dandies, etc. – without singing, without bells ringing – only with a heart filled with pain, on the same path which the dear Papa had so often loved to walk. Oh, I could hardly walk, and it was good that someone offered me a dandy which brought me the rest of the way. At the entrance of the cemetery, Chaplain Law, a slender man, stepped in front of the casket and guided the small procession down several slopes, reading Psalms, down to the lowest terrace of the picturesquely arranged cemetery of Mussourie. There, the four gentlemen let the casket down into the tomb, and there, our dear, dear father is now resting until the great resurrection day; resting from all his struggles, worries and works of this poor life, and sees the One in whom he has believed here and whom he has loved above all. But we mourn after him and will never, never forget him."
My great great grandfather, Ferdinand Hahn died May 3 1910 and is buried in Camels Back Cemetery. From the journal of his widow Doris: "The funeral was set for 5 pm. Mr. Gass had told me earlier that only the English clergy was allowed to officiate in the cemetery; no out-of-towner. But Mr. Stoll gave a little meditation in English at the casket, on the porch where the mission Brothers and Sisters Stoll, Gass and Wiens had joined us mourners. Then began the heavy, heavy walk to the cemetery – through the city, past walkers, market people, dandies, etc. – without singing, without bells ringing – only with a heart filled with pain, on the same path which the dear Papa had so often loved to walk. Oh, I could hardly walk, and it was good that someone offered me a dandy which brought me the rest of the way. At the entrance of the cemetery, Chaplain Law, a slender man, stepped in front of the casket and guided the small procession down several slopes, reading Psalms, down to the lowest terrace of the picturesquely arranged cemetery of Mussourie. There, the four gentlemen let the casket down into the tomb, and there, our dear, dear father is now resting until the great resurrection day; resting from all his struggles, worries and works of this poor life, and sees the One in whom he has believed here and whom he has loved above all. But we mourn after him and will never, never forget him."
2 Comments
Kamala
3/26/2015 03:05:31 am
These reflections are so nice Mary. Really historical, and a sense of the timelessness of being there is brought back.
Reply
Mary
3/26/2015 04:44:34 am
Yes. I hope to go again next Oct. If that doesn't happen then in March 2016. I love to acquaint myself with the town. Landaur is still lovely and that is wonderful but Mussoorie still has so much more to explore. I am really interested in the economy of trash...see my story of the ragpickers.
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
Travel backwards:
|