Bethel United Church Cemetery - Minden, ON

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Bethel Church Cemetery has been a location in Minden, Ontario that I have stopped at many times. It is a beautiful little cemetery hidden on a side road in amongst the hills and forests of the county. On the property stands a small wooden church that has remained inactive and has been boarded up each time I have visited. The church can be seen below. On the day I stopped by it was a particularly hazy and overcast day, leading to the interesting lighting in the photo. 
The church and graveyard location is over 130 years old. Surprisingly this location still operates as an active cemetery, with the quiet, rustic scenery being a key factor for those who wish to find a beautiful place for their loved ones to rest. Bethel Church Cemetery is smallest of four active cemeteries in the Township of Minden Hills.
The mix of new and old headstones together in such close proximity made for a fascinating look at how headstone designs have changed over the past 100 years. The older graves were closer to the road while the back of the cemetery had a large open space with very new graves. 
One particular monument that stood out to me was that of Margaret 'Mary' Westbrook. From across the cemetery I could see that there was a bust of a woman atop a headstone, which is something that I had not seen in person before. The carving is beautiful and shows a resemblance to the picture of Margaret printed on the stone. Though I imagine that seeing such a headstone topper in the night or low lighting would give someone a startle due to its life size accuracy. 
Margaret's headstone has a lovely inscription on it that reads 'To live in the hearts of other is never to die at all'. Margaret was born in Saskatchewan, Canada and interestingly died in Maryland, USA. I was not able to discover where her husband was buried, nor why she was buried in this cemetery when she appears to not have been born or died here. However her maiden name 'Nesbitt' can been seen on a number of headstones throughout the cemetery, including that of her brother, father, and grandfather. Her brother and father's headstones can be seen below, located just to the right of her own plot.
One last monument I stopped to admire was that of John and Susannah Thomas. While reading the inscription I learned that John is not in fact buried a Bethel Church Cemetery, but is interred at Minden Cemetery, not far away. I did not get the chance to visit Minden Cemetery though I was not able to find a headstone or gravemarker of any kind for John through searching on Find A Grave. The only headstone associated with his name that I could find is the one in Bethel Church Cemetery. I will have to return and get to the bottom of this mystery! John and Susannah were immigrants from England. Susannah lived to be 90 and passed away in 1908. Although I could not find the birth year for John, he unfortunately passed away in 1887, twenty-one years before Susannah.
Bethel Church Cemetery is a lovely place for a peaceful stroll through the headstones. The church is also a sight to see and really helps paint an imagine of a location that early settlers would come to worship at from across the rolling hills of the township. A cemetery I will certainly return to once again.
Research credits to:
- Find A Grave
- Minden Hills Museum & Heritage Village
- Minden Hills Township Website