þÿ <! DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <head> <title>FRIENDS BEDFORD CEMETERY GRAVE INTEREST PAGE</title> <style type = "text/css" > #s1 { color: red;} #s2 {font - size:18pt; } #div1 {background-color:black; color: white; position:absolute; top:0px; left:0px; width:1000px; height:320px; text-align:center; padding:0px; font-size: 12pt; } #div2 {background-color:black; color: white; position:absolute; top:70px; left:0px; width:500px; height:240px; text-align:center; font-size: 24pt; } #div3 {background-color:black; color: white; position:absolute; top:246px; left:130px; width:235px; height:40px; text-align:center; padding:5px; font-size: 12pt; } #div4 { background-color: #CCCCCC; color : black; position:absolute; top:320px; left: 0px; width:1000px; height:3700px; text-align:center; padding-top:45px;font-size: 20pt; } #div5 { background-color: #CCCCCC; color : black; position:absolute; top:420px; left: 15px; width:480px; height:500px;text-align:justify; font-size: 14pt; } #div6 { background-color: #CCCCCC; color : black; position:absolute; top:2440px; left: 15px; width:970px; height:500px;text-align:justify; font-size: 14pt; } #div7 { background-color: #CCCCCC; color : black; position:absolute; top:2880px; left: 15px; width:435px; height:500px;text-align:justify; font-size: 13pt; } body { background-color:green; color : black } </style> </head> <body> <div id ="div1"> <p></p> </div> <img id = "general view" src = "general view.jpg" width = "360" height = "270" alt ="General view of Cemetery" style = "position: absolute; top:20px; left: 565px; border-color:white; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <div id ="div2"> <p><b>FRIENDS <span id = "s2">OF</span> BEDFORD CEMETERY<br><br> Foster Hill Road</b></p> </div> <div id ="div3" > <p> <a href="index.htm"><span id = "s1"><b>RETURN TO HOME PAGE</b></span></a> </div> <div id ="div4"><p><b>INTERESTING GRAVES</b></p></div> <div id ="div5"> <p><b>THE GRAVE OF <br>CHRISTOPHER NEIL MLYNARCZYK.<br><br> THE BOXER.</b><br><br> A grave that has intrigued many of us for some while is that of Christopher Neil Mlynarczyk. He is buried in plot H7, on the left hand side, close to the path that leads up to the well known Wyatt enclosure.<br><br> We have done some research on him and discovered he was born in 1951, and died aged 21 years. As his grave depicted a boxer, we thought he may have died in a boxing accident. Looking into the local papers of that time we have put together his life.<br><br> He lived in King Edward Road with his parents Stefan and Dorothy. He was a talented boxer who boxed under the name of Destar . He was an amateur, who only turned professional one month before his death, and had his first professional fight two weeks before that. He was tipped to have a great future in the sport.<br><br> He had boxed from the age of 14, first at Goldington Road Secondary School and then joined Bedford Boys Club. He trained every day and had had 135 amateur fights, of which he won 80. Two years before his death he won his way through to the final of the <br><br> National Association of Boys Clubs Championship, but lost on points. He had been picked to represent Britain against America. His trainer, Paul Kine, said of him Chris was a fine boxer, who showed a great natural ability and we had great hopes for him. He was a good all-rounder and his death is a sad loss . His death was sadly prosaic, as he was killed on the way to the Co-op shop where he worked as Butchery Manager.<br><br> It seems probable that his father was Polish, and could perhaps have been one of the Polish Armed Forces that came to this country at the start of the 2nd World War and married an English girl. His father Stefan died on 5th August 1981 aged 61 years and his mother Dorothy Elizabeth died on 28th July 1991 aged 77 years. If anyone knows more about Christopher we should be delighted to hear from you.<br><br><br><br> <b> THE GRAVE OF<br> FRANCIS HENRY DRAPER FREEMAN.<br><br> THE ORGAN BLOWER.</b><br><br> The following was the report in the local paper of his death.<br> On Tuesday January 24 1882 there passed away from among us one whose services though of the humblest, were so faithfully and heartily rendered that they would seem to deserve a recall in our columns.<br><br> Francis Henry Draper Freeman, for more than 15 years, organ blower to Holy Trinity Church was well known as a most enthusiastic lover of music in his way. He was rarely absent from any organ opening or recital, and his criticisms on music and musicians generally, were often as shrewd as they were uncompromising .The pride he took in the organ and choir of Holy Trinity, and his devotion to Mr Diemer was very remarkable, while to his pupils  on the organ as he called them, he performed his duties most faithfully and took a liveliest interest in their progress.<br><br> He was put into his grave last Saturday, when the Rev G.A.Willan performed the ceremonies. Several of the Trinity Church Choir were present and flowers were thrown on the coffin. Last Sunday Mr Willan made a very feeling allusion to Henry after the morning sermon, and after the service the poor fellows favourite hymns were sung. In the evening Mr Diemer played the dirge from Bethany  before the service and  The dead march in Saul  afterwards.<br><br> One of the hymns being Brother thou hast gone before us  also from Bethany . To use Mr Diemer s words  A more devoted blower than poor Henry never existed."<br><br> It is now very difficult to read the engraving on the stone which is of a very fine shape. It does however recall that Henry was organ blower to the church for 15 years and died at the young age of 34. <br><br>The stone was paid for by the choir and organist, which explains who Mr Diemer was. The grave is situated in the higher area of the cemetery, not far from The Wyatt enclosure.</p> </div> <img id = "boxergrave" src = "boxergrave.jpg" width = "450" height = "603" alt ="The Boxer grave" style = "position: absolute; top:535px; left: 515px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <img id = "organblower" src = "organblower.jpg" width = "450" height = "603" alt ="The Organ Blower Grave" style = "position: absolute; top:1530px; left: 515px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <div id ="div6"> <p><b>NUNS BURIED AT FOSTER HILL ROAD CEMETERY<br> By Richard Wildman and John Gibbons.</b><br><br> The Daughters of the Holy Ghost (DHG) were a teaching order of nuns based in a convent at St Brieuc in Brittany. When, in the early 1900s, the French government introduced severe anti-clerical laws intended to prevent Catholic religious orders from teaching, nuns were sent to the UK to establish Catholic schools for girls, in Aberystwyth, Bedford and Ingsdon (Devon).<br><br> In Bedford, the nuns (who first settled in Lansdowne Road) took over (in 1914) the premises of the Crescent House Ladies  College at 112-114 Bromham Road, which became the Convent of the Holy Ghost School, as well as the Bedford Convent. In 1958, the DHG acquired the former Manor House Hospital at Clapham Park, which became the main Bedford Convent, though some nuns continued to live at the School or nearby.<br<br> The Convent School had a preparatory department (also admitting boys), called St Mary s, at 118 Bromham Road (formerly Stamford House, a Bedford Modern School boarding house). The Convent School closed in 1974, and was replaced by St Bede s Voluntary Aided RC Middle School, which itself closed in 2006. The site is now being developed as retirement flats, retaining Nos 112-114 as well as the smaller (older) house at 116. No 118 was sold in the 1980s, and is now the offices of an estate agent.<br><br> Clapham Park was sold for conversion into apartments in the early 1980s. New houses were built in the grounds, and the main house is now a single dwelling again. Among the nuns who are buried in Bedford Cemetery will be some of the teachers at the School. All the DHG Schools in the UK had closed by 1974.</p> </div> <img id = "nuns1" src = "nuns1.jpg" width = "500" height = "375" alt ="Nuns Graves" style = "position: absolute; top:2950px; left: 470px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <img id = "nuns2" src = "nuns2.jpg" width = "300" height = "225" alt ="Sister Therese" style = "position: absolute; top:3495px; left: 15px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <img id = "nuns3" src = "nuns3.jpg" width = "300" height = "225" alt ="Sister Athanese" style = "position: absolute; top:3495px; left: 345px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <img id = "nuns4" src = "nuns4.jpg" width = "300" height = "225" alt ="Sister Irene" style = "position: absolute; top:3495px; left: 675px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <img id = "nuns5" src = "nuns5.jpg" width = "300" height = "225" alt ="Sister Imelda" style = "position: absolute; top:3745px; left: 15px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <img id = "nuns6" src = "nuns6.jpg" width = "300" height = "225" alt ="Sister Marie" style = "position: absolute; top:3745px; left: 345px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <img id = "nuns7" src = "nuns7.jpg" width = "300" height = "225" alt ="Sister Jeanne" style = "position: absolute; top:3745px; left: 675px; border-color:black; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <div id ="div7"> <p>The <b>CENTRAL</b> grave is Sister Therese Du St Esprit Queouron (Mother Therese). She was born in 1860 in France. She came to England in 1903 and worked for 18 years in the Holy Ghost Convent in Abergavenny. This was Followed by 5 years in Pontypool. She arrived In Bedford in 1926 and retired in 1938, when she was a partial invalid. She died, aged 91 years, on 25th February 1951 while still in the convent. A Requiem Mass was held at the Roman Catholic Church in Midland Road on 27th February 1951. This was followed by interment in Foster Hill Road Cemetery.<br> The grave to the <b>LEFT</b> has 2 inscriptions, one on the front and one on the back The front one is to Sister Athanese de Jesus Furic. She died on 13th April 1950 aged 74 years. The death is registered in Holborn as Anne Furic.<br> On the <b>REVERSE</b> side of this stone sister Irene de Marie Fragel is commemorated. She died on 19th November 1942 aged 22 years. Her death is registered as Barbara N Fragel, but her obituary in the Bedfordshire Times, she is listed as Irene (Mary) Fragel.<br> The graves to the <b>RIGHT</b>, facing the path has 3 inscriptions The FRONT one is to remember Sister Imelda Conlan, fille du Saint Esprit. She died on 18th December1925 aged 37 years. Her death is registered as Mary Ellen Conlan.<br> To the <b>LEFT</b> side is Sister Marie Cecilia. She died on 18th November1932 aged 48 years. Her death is registered as Marie Louise Elien.<br> On the <b>REVERSE</b> of the stone is Sister Jeanne Raphael Donovan,fille du Saint-Esprit. She died on 21st November 1924 aged 24 years, and is registered as Doris Donovan.</p> </div> </body>