Children are often buried in a separate part of the cemetery away from the adults. Childrens' burial sections have to be the saddest part of any cemetery, as you stroll along and see so many dear lives snuffed out by disease or accident. On another of my photo request trips to Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park I found myself in the children's section of Gate 55 - First Roumanian Congregation. First I saw the grave of Jeanette Schwartz, a beautiful little girl who died in 1924 of lymphosarcoma - just shy of her 10th birthday. A sad story - but compounded by the fact that her brother Marvin was buried in the next row. He died in 1932 at the age of 7 of meningitis. There was so much sadness in that family that Jeanette and Marvin's parents composed a poem about it - and put the poem on the back of Marvin's tombstone. Here is their poem:
“When that dreadful sorrow
Befell our heart
We did not think that we could live
From dear Jeanette apart.
God sent an angel
To fill the empty space
It was darling Marvin
That took her place.
Like a beautiful star
He lit up our way
But to our great sorrow
He was not here to stay.
Just like his sister
He went so quick
And in our hearts
He left a leak.
MOTHER AND DAD”
May the souls of Marvin and Jeanette, and their grieving parents, rest in peace.
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| Jeanette |
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| Marvin |
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