Benjamin S. Skowronski was married twice . He is buried with his second wife, Ruth E. Grillo, whose monument and Burial Record I reported yesterday . Benjamin’s first wife, Mary B. Radzik, died in 1959 . She is buried in a separate grave in Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts . Click on the link for a PDF copy of the map of Notre Dame Cemetery.
Monument for Mary B. Radzik Skowronski – Front
Monument for Mary B. Radzik Skowronski – Back
SOURCE: Mary B. Radzik Skowronski grave marker, Notre Dame Cemetery, Section 25-C, Lot 1032, Grave 2 (Worcester County), Massachusetts, photographed by Stephen J. Danko, 09 Sep 2005.
The front of the monument lists the family name: SKOWRONSKI and the Polish inscription “PROSZE O ZDROWAS MARJA” which means “I ask for a Hail Mary”.
The back of the monument reads:
BENJAMIN S. SKOWRONSKI
1910 – 1998
HIS WIFE
MARY B. RADZIK
1918 – 1959
The cemetery record for this lot states:
Notre Dame Cemetery No. 02 – Owner: Skowronski, Alexander, Mr.
Lot – Sec-25 Lot-1032 Grv-1 =================Â Â 6 X 10
           UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?
           3                                         3                                         3
            3                                      3                                          3
            3                                      3                                          3
           3                2                    3                  1                     3
           3                                      3                                          3
           3                                     3                                          3
           3                                         3                                           3
           AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAU
Space  Deceased/Resvd                               Burial Date      Age    Container
——-Â Â Â ———————————————Â Â Â Â Â Â —————— Â Â ——Â Â Â Â ————–
1Â Â Â Reserved
2    Skowronski, Mary B., Daughter-in-la   02/10/1959    42      WHITEAAAEnd of ListAAA
SOURCE: Burial Record, Mary B. Radzik, Section 25-C, Lot 1032, Grave 2. Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester, Massachusetts.Â
This situation, where one person is listed on two monuments, is not uncommon when one spouse dies and the other remarries . In a case such as the one illustrated here, where Benjamin’s birth and death are listed on both monuments, one may not be able to determine in which grave an individual is actually buried without examining the cemetery records.
In Benjamin’s case, the cemetery records show that he is buried with his second wife, Ruth Grillo.
This does happen quite a bit. A a monument person, we had a simillar situation about 20 years back. A man was married for about 15 years. He and his wife bought a monument together and had it placed in the cemetery years before she died. The cemetery monument had both names carved on it. Years went by and his wife died. A year later he re-married. The new wife had the same Christian name as the first wife. They came into the shop to make arrangements to have his first wife’s final date incribed on the monument. While they were in the office they also purchased a new stone for the man and his new wife. This new monument was placed on his cemetery plot, right next to the original. He matched the carving and the granite. Now there are 2 cemetery monuments side by side, same color, same size, same carving and the exact same names! the only difference is the middle initial of his second wife! I will try to get a picture of them next weekend and post it here.