I hope the following information and pictures will give you some history and allow you to follow the restoration process of each monument.
Many historians in Canada think the Iron Cross or "Tree of Life" was an Alsatian tradition that our ancestors brought with them from Alsace but this is not the case,
During my many trips to Alsace I have only found two Iron Crosses at Soufflenheim and many other cemeteries in Alsace are completely without any examples. In fact, I believe these iron monuments are the result of the beginning of the Industrial Age 1800 - 1890. Iron was being used for many items by our local blacksmiths who created a new item to sell to our pioneer ancestors, here in Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. So actually this "Tradition " of using the Iron cross Lebensbaums as a grave marker, began in Southern Ontario by the Minority Roman Catholic people from Alsace and Southern German and in the former Waterloo County on the outskirts of Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario.
especially New Germany, now called Maryhill.
The Iron Crosses in St. Boniface Cemetery were created by local Blacksmiths in New Germany (Maryhill) and surrounding villages.
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Below is an answer to my question "Is the Lebensbaume (Iron Tree Of Life) an Alsatian tradition?" to a local Alsatian historian:
TO: Marie-Odile Albrecht (Messner) Barthelemy, who's father was born in Soufflenheim who wrote;
"I would say that the iron crosses were replacing the simplest regular wooden crosses in a more "long life" material, for ordinary people. So you have lots in regions where people had by tradition a wooden cross on a plain grass grave at first. And that is often in the mountain regions.
In our regions (Alsace and Lorraine) people always tried to have some kind of a stone marker or plaque or monument on their grave, depending on their wealth. Also remember that in Alsace most of the graves are "Family graves" and not individual burials.
The iron crosses were the most trendy and easy because of the cast iron between 1800 and 1890. And that's why there are many at Maryhill, both the right period and the industrial era.
Marie-Odile May 2020
I am presently working on a new paper which documents the vast variety of Iron crosses found at Maryhill, (New Germany, Woolwich County), St. Clements (Wellesley County), St. Agatha (Wilmot Township). These 3 are the sites of the first settlements of our Ancestors from Alsace. Once they were established and having children there was a sort of expansion to the north of Alsatians and south Germans from Bas Rhine etc, into the Bruce County area over 60 miles away.
These locations also have examples of the "Iron Tree of Life" and very "Alsatian symbols on their stone monuments
and include 6 more cemeteries: Formosa, Mildmay, Deemerton, Carlsruhe (in Carrick Township and Riversdale, Chepstow, in Greenock Township.
This paper also documents how the use of "Iron" instead of wood, not only gave us monuments that have lasted over 200 years but also brought a new source of income to the many blacksmiths of the area.
Ron Schmuck
More interesting items:
Catholic monument symbols
*This is an article from "Billiongraves" I am sure everyone interested in cemetery traditions will enjoy to read.
Insider Secrets
*Here is an article from Billion graves; "Insider Secrets" some great tips for recording "Your" local cemetery's
Cleaning Grave Stones
* Another great article from Billion Graves on how to preserve, clean and care for monuments.
Catholic monument symbols
*This is an article from "Billiongraves" I am sure everyone interested in cemetery traditions will enjoy to read.
Insider Secrets
*Here is an article from Billion graves; "Insider Secrets" some great tips for recording "Your" local cemetery's
Cleaning Grave Stones
* Another great article from Billion Graves on how to preserve, clean and care for monuments.