The grave marker of William John French is finally back home.
The tombstone of the two-year-old, who died in 1878 and was buried at the Elora Municipal Cemetery, was returned to the cemetery on March 10.
“My little boy got home,” said Guelph antique store owner Ray Mitchell.
The tombstone was believed stolen from the cemetery late last year and came into Mitchell’s possession late last month. He says he received the limestone tombstone from a woman he believed suffered from a mental illness.
“She had it for about six months,” he said.
Mitchell said it was difficult to read the engravings on the weathered tombstone. Using a technique known as “rub in,” the words “son of” soon became visible, Mitchell said.
“We found it was a child and that was horrible,” he said.
Eventually the name French would come forward and Mitchell realized it was the tombstone for a two-year-old taken from a family plot.
Further information gathered by staff at the Wellington County Museum and Archives found that William John French died on Oct. 15, 1878. The son of Alma area farmers Frederick and Elizabeth French, he was buried in Section D, Row 6, Zone 2 at the back part of the Elora cemetery.
Historian Eric Huber delivered the tombstone at around noon on Monday to Ken Boys, Centre Wellington equipment operator and cemetery maintenance worker.
Boys speculated the tombstone may have toppled over and was easy for someone to take from the cemetery.
“In the spring I’m going to look for the base and get it back where it belongs,” Boys vowed.
For now it is being stored inside the locked cemetery mausoleum, which is in the process of being restored.
“It’s been a heck of a ride for him,” Mitchell said of the tombstone’s journey.
The antique dealer said he has been contacted by members of the French family interested to learn about the tombstone, which was the focus of a television News story. Mitchell also has family buried in the same cemetery and felt sympathy for the family.
He is hoping to get contacted by more family members at his Dis-a-ray Antiques store in Guelph and would eventually like to bring them together for a ceremony when the tombstone is finally resurrected at the plot.
Mitchell said he is even prepared to help pay some of the costs associated with restoring the stone.
