Edmonton woman devasted after brother’s gravestone damaged

An Edmonton woman is pleading with the public to help aid in the return of a bronze vase she says was stolen from her brother’s headstone at St. Anthony’s Cemetery, which left his gravesite damaged.

Barbara, who has chosen to keep her last name private, was visiting her family plot Friday when she saw her brother John’s tombstone had been moved and the bronze vase she put flowers in was missing.

“For a few days I was just grieving that somebody would do something like this,” Barbara tells CityNews. “My brother’s vase that was right here was sheered off and the flowers that were in it were strewn in the snow.”

She says his headstone has been there since 1975, and she has visited the cemetery every day, where her parents are also now buried.

“It was devastating,” Barbara says. “The degree of pain that strikes somebody when they see something like this is high on a scale.

“I don’t particularly feel any degree of ill will toward this person, strangely enough, because I feel that anybody who has perpetrated something like this is obviously in a deep sense of pain and probably dealing with other issues themselves,” Barbara says.

“I simply want the vase returned, I’ve even offered a reward,” Barbara says.  She says she has posted a ‘lost ad’ on Kijiji.

Barbara is asking whoever took it to return it to anywhere it will be found. “Please return the vase to wherever you would like to return it,” Barbara says.  She says they can return it to the cemetery, or get a hold of her through her online ad, to tell her where she can find it.

“My first call was to St. Anthony’s Cemetery to alert them because there is a protocol in place, so in order for this to become a police matter one first has to contact the cemetery and report it.”

Darryl Tymchuk, Mission Services Cemeteries Lead for the Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton Catholic Cemeteries confirmed they have filed a police report.

“We want our cemeteries to be a place where those that are laid to rest here are laid to rest with dignity and the families can come and visit and know they can come visit their loved ones’ monuments,” Tymchuk says.

He says nothing is off the table when it comes to improving security.

“We want to do everything we can take make sure our cemeteries are a safe place for families,” Tymchuk says. We’re looking at all options right now to see what we can do to make our cemetery a safe place.”

Barbara says she is working with the Archdiocese of Edmonton to look at increasing security measures at the cemetery – such as surveillance cameras and increased lighting.

“Just because it’s my brother’s and I feel I really need to protect him,” Barbara says. 

She says she has called local metal recyclers to alert them to be on the lookout for the vase.

“The vase, apparently on a scale is worth, despite being bronze is probably worth $3,” Barbara says, telling CityNews the amount of pain cause by its removal is immeasurable.

“[Cemeteries are] the one spot on this Earth where I feel a degree of respect needs to be maintained,” Barbara says. “I feel that other families should not have to face any kind of act like this because. I’m sure that the perpetrators are not aware of the impact they are having upon families who come to the cemetery to visit their loved ones.”

Barbara says several other headstones were also damaged, Tymchuk is encouraging any families who have experienced vandalism or theft at the cemetery to contact the Archdiocese.