Mother Joseph Catholic Cemetery

Is it really creepy to review a cemetery?
Probably… but here it goes anyway.
My hero is a lady by the name of Mother Joseph. Born catholic, she was a Canadian nun in the late 19^th Century sent to the northwest on a mission with 5 other sisters. She was an artist and some say the first architect in the northwest, building hospitals and academies, school and orphanages.
Her most recognized building that still stands today is the Academy in Downtown Vancouver, a nursing school and dormitory turned office building. During construction she was known to inspect the work for quality, sometimes even working through the night after the contractors went home to rebuild elements she didn’t like. I imagine she was a spunky lady, and a icon for the area.
So when I was younger and doing a report on her I found out she was buried in Vancouver. I though it would be really special if I could get a rubbing of her headstone as part of my project. My mom took me to the cemetery where we found where the sisters were buried, and much to my surprise all the headstones were identical. It would take ages to find the one I was looking for… even then I couldn’t be 100% sure as many were worn from the test of time.
Luckily a kind groundskeeper showed us the way, and moments later I was standing in front of the marker of one of the people I admired most. So simple, it made no reference to any of her incredible achievements, just the dates that they were accomplished between. The keeper told me that this was exactly what she wanted… to be laid to rest in modesty and union with her fellow sisters.
I stood there for quite a while, just looking and taking it all in… I still consider that afternoon as one of the most humbling experiences of my life.
St. James Acres was renamed to Mother Joseph Catholic Cemetery in 2007 to honor her legacy. The grounds are beautiful, and it’s surprisingly peaceful even though it’s right next to 4^th plane and I-​5 interchange. Burials date back to 1838 in the Old Pioneer catholic section and the Fort Vancouver Trading Post cemetery.
While it’s by no means a destination, and likely any reason most would have to visit would not be a joyous one, it is a comforting environment for meditation and a valid reminder of how precious even the most successful life can be.