In search of Bertha Manchester
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 8:38 pm
Another event which touched briefly on the Borden murder case was the tragic killing of Bertha M. Manchester about a week before Lizzie's trial.
On Saturday morning last, Stefani, Kat and myself with a few hours to kill before my flight out, set out for Oak Grove cemetery to find her grave.
Well, those who have been to Oak Grove know how large a cemetery it is, so where to begin. It's Saturday and the office looks closed. As we sat inside the gate another car pulled up and parked beside the cemetery office. Kat, in her indomitable way, goes over and begins to chat with the driver. We are not sure how she did it but she convinces this man (it turned out he worked in the office) to open up and find the location of the grave.
His kindness knew no bounds and he searched several files and pulled out papers and after a few minutes found the Manchester file. He made us a copy of the family card and even gave us a map with which he pinpointed the location.
With our map in hand we found our way to the grave. Bertha is buried in the family plot next to her mother Hannah. Beside them is the father Stephen C. and then the father's second wife. Behind them is Frederick's grave. He was Bertha's brother who found her body. There are other family members buried there as well.
One thing this man said which is rather sad, is that in all the 20 years he worked there no one had ever asked to see Bertha's grave. It turned out he was interested in her case himself.
On Saturday morning last, Stefani, Kat and myself with a few hours to kill before my flight out, set out for Oak Grove cemetery to find her grave.
Well, those who have been to Oak Grove know how large a cemetery it is, so where to begin. It's Saturday and the office looks closed. As we sat inside the gate another car pulled up and parked beside the cemetery office. Kat, in her indomitable way, goes over and begins to chat with the driver. We are not sure how she did it but she convinces this man (it turned out he worked in the office) to open up and find the location of the grave.
His kindness knew no bounds and he searched several files and pulled out papers and after a few minutes found the Manchester file. He made us a copy of the family card and even gave us a map with which he pinpointed the location.
With our map in hand we found our way to the grave. Bertha is buried in the family plot next to her mother Hannah. Beside them is the father Stephen C. and then the father's second wife. Behind them is Frederick's grave. He was Bertha's brother who found her body. There are other family members buried there as well.
One thing this man said which is rather sad, is that in all the 20 years he worked there no one had ever asked to see Bertha's grave. It turned out he was interested in her case himself.