more on Sweet William ...

In a couple of recent posts I told you the story of my friend Julie's desire to find the headstone of a child named William. Julie used to live in Halifax and would visit his grave but had forgotten his last name.  It was important to her and so I set out to find William.  After a couple of visits to the cemetary I did find his headstone and blogged about it.

William was only six years old when he died of scarlet fever. 

The post deeply touched my cousin Carol.  She wrote me to tell me that it had made her cry.  I'd like to say it was my wonderful choice of words and images that moved her to tears, but it was something else.

When Carol was 10 or 11, she learned that she had a brother who had died shortly after birth.  Her mom rarely spoke of the baby she had lost, but Carol knew his name was Ian.  
My post got her thinking about her "older" brother whose life had been so short.  She wondered where he was buried and  went looking for his headstone.

After some sleuthing she did find him...

and learned something new...

His first name wasn't Ian.

It was William.

In loving memory of William Ian Wilson

July 20, 1943 - July 24, 1943

Though death divides

Fond memory clings