Back in 2002, my sister and I visited Cedar Ridge Cemetery in Blairstown, New Jersey, to find the graves of our 2nd great-grandfather, Harry Dickinson, and his family. We drove through the main entrance, parked, and walked the entire cemetery starting in the right front corner and canvasing the whole entire cemetery before finding the Dickinson plot in the opposite corner, near the other entrance (or the exit?). We had almost given up when we found it, but still, it was a memorable visit.
Princess Doe
While walking the back corner near the creek, we came across a grave marked "Princess Doe". I've since read several articles about the story as investigators try to solve the mystery of who she was and how she ended up murdered in the gully behind the cemetery back in 1982. Her identity is still unknown to this day. The police and locals chipped in to place a headstone on her grave. It reads:
"Princess Doe, Missing from Home, Dead among strangers, Remembered by all, Born? - Found July 15, 1982".
This documentary I found on YouTube will tell you the story, if you're interested: (Alternate Link)
Later, we visited Blairstown Diner for lunch and the waitress explained that some scenes in the film "Friday the 13th" were filmed in Blairstown. You can find out which ones here (external link).
The Bear
Somewhere along the way, while walking up and down the rows between the graves, searching for ones engraved with "Dickinson", I looked up and saw a bear - a real live bear standing just as tall as me, a few rows away and looking straight at me. The headline "Woman mauled by bear at cemetery" flashed across my mind as I tried to figure out how to handle my first encounter with a bear. I immediately ran for my car which was parked not too far away. Luckily, the bear ran the other way, hopped the fence, and ran off through a field. The photos are bad, but I did manage to catch a couple snapshots of him running off:
Finding the Dickinson family's burial plot
After a couple hours of searching, we found the Dickinson family's plot. If we had entered through the other entrance, we would have found it right away, so if you're planning to visit the Dickinson's burial plot at Cedar Ridge Cemetery, I have two tips: First beware of the bears!! Second, don't enter through the main entrance. Instead, use the entrance to the left of the main entrance (if you're facing the gate at the main entrance). You will see the Dickinson plot on your left immediately upon entering through this entrance.
The Dickinson family's burial plot
My 2nd great-grandfather, Harry Dickinson, who died in 1935 is buried here. A stone for his wife, Annie, who died in 1913 when the family lived in Newark, New Jersey, was laid in the family plot in her memory but she remains buried in Newark. The stones, shown below, read as follows:
"Mother, Annie Robinson, at rest Fairmount Cem, Newark, N.J. 1870-1913".
"Father, Harry Dickinson, 1863-1935"
Their daughters, Emma Dickinson, Rose Dickinson, and Ruth (Dickinson) Lindsey are buried nearby, along with their son John Dickinson. Ruth's husband and her granddaughter, Lorrie, are also in the plot.
With the exception of my great-grandfather, William Henry Dickinson (front left), and his sister, Elizabeth, (third in back), everyone in this photo is buried at Cedar Ridge Cemetery. William and his wife are buried at West Hill Cemetery in Sherburne, New York. (Click here for photos) and Elizabeth is buried in Glendale Cemetery in Bloomfield, New Jersey. (Findagrave).
