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Notre Dame Bay Region ~ Notre Dame Bay West / Exploits District

Pilley's Island - United Church Cemetery (partial)

These are older United Church Cemetery Inscriptions The first WHALEN names here are the family of the present caretaker of the cemeteries at Pilley's Island, Mr. M. Whelan, who so kindly showed me around every one of them and at times provided a running commentary as I noted the graves. He informed me there is only one headstone remaining in the old R.C. Cemetery, that of his ancestor Michael Patrick WHALEN. In answer to my questions, he told me that Michael Patrick WHELAN died on Sept. 22, 1967 at the age of 92 years, and that he was born in Bay Bulls. He came to Pilley's Island as the first school teacher. I understand he was the last to be buried in that cemetery, and am quite sure he said that Michael Patrick was the husband of Melina SIMMS, below.

Headstone inscriptions were transcribed by BARBARA PEDERSON, October 1998. While I have endeavored to be as correct as humanly possible, there may betypographical errors.

NAME	RELATION	BIRTH	DEATH	AGE/INFORMATION
Melina E. SIMMS [this is her maiden name] [WHALEN]		May 26, 1897	Dec. 28, 1990
William SIMMS	husband of Norah		Oct. 27, 1928	aged 75 years & 3 months; erected by wife and children
Nora SIMMS	our dear mother [AND] beloved wife of William SIMMS		Mar. 6, 1951	aged 84-1/2 years. Erected by children
Note: The above two are parents of Melina.
John [SIMMS]	son of William & Nora SIMMS	Mar. 15, 1891	Jan. 28, 1962
Arthur [SIMMS]		1927	1976
Note: Also a son, known as "Bronze" or "Brawns" according to Mr. Whelan.

George WHELAN			Jan. 19, 1957	aged 91 years
Martha [WHELAN]	wife of George WHELAN		Feb. 17, 1942	aged 72 years.

Alfred RIDEOUT			June 18, 1950	aged 72 years;
Lydia RIDEOUT		July 12, 1883	May 20, 1967

Susan VINEHAM		Nov. 23, 1877	Oct. 25, 1971	aged 94 years;
Philip VINEHAM		July 12, 1877	Nov. 9, 1961	aged 84 years.

John T. BARTLETT		Mar. 22, 1894	Mar. 20, 1971
Pheobe [BARTLETT]	wife of John BARTLETT	Dec. 25, 1884	Jan. 22, 1964

Alfred ELLIOTT	husband and father		Dec. 29, 1959	aged 73 years

David MCGINN	father		Dec. 24, 1937	aged 82 years
Eliza MCGINN	mother		Oct. 17, 1945	aged 76 years; (a double headstone)

Alfred COBB		1853	1935
Ann Eliza LEDREW	his wife	1854	1936

Rachel BUDGELL		1885	1971
William BUDGELL	husband of Rachel BUDGELL		Apr. 22, 1951	aged 86 years

Mary Jane HAGGETT	[mother]		Jan. 5, 1952	aged 86 years
Josiah HAGGETT	[father]		Sept. 19, 1937	aged 76 years.
Note: Erected by Mrs. Fred Pittman in loving memory of her mother and her father.

William John MULLINS		1885	1977

Hubert STRICKLAND		1895	1974

Thomas ROWSELL			Feb. 24, 1948	aged 70 years & 5 months
Cecilia G.[ROWSELL]	wife of Thomas ROWSELL		Sept. 24, 1959	aged 78 years.

Joseph H. HARRIS			Jan. 22, 1930	aged 67 years.

George OXFORD	husband of Kate OXFORD		May 3, 1925 (?1975)	aged 62years & 2 months

MANSFIELD, Jack		Dec. 9, 1897	Nov. 30, 1990	Fondly remembered
Note: Mr. Whelan told me a nice little story, the 'background' of this last one, a somewhat 'impressive' stone with the following simple inscription: Mr. Whalen said that this Jack Mansfield lived at Pilley's Island, was never married and had lived alone. He was apparently a favourite among the people of the community, and probably came to work there at the mines in his early years, then likely spent time fishing or whatever the rest of his life. Jack was a Roman Catholic, and at the time of his death, the only R.C. cemetery in the area had not been in use for some time. His friends of various Protestant religions all got together and along with the priest from the nearest R.C. parish agreed to bury him in the United Church Cemetery, where he now is sure to share a place with the rest of his buddies forever and ever. I was informed that his mother and father, who would be the Mary Ann and William A. Mansfield above, (from the 1921 census), are buried in the R.C. Cemetery at Pilley's Island, which has not been in use for a number of years.