“Bellamy Row”
By Lori Erwin Rose
Year after year thousands of people step into the Bellamy’s lives. As a quest you will be introduced to this family’s history and get to know them on a more personal level. As a volunteer you have the opportunity to fix up their home, renew their garden and perpetuate their stories; and how grade of a feeling that can be.
Visiting the Bellamy House is one thing but visiting the Bellamy’s themselves is entirely something else. You will find most of the main family buried in Oakdale Cemetery-Section M. They call it “Bellamy Row”. For those unfamiliar with Oakdale, you will find this
Serene Cemetery located at the end of 15th street off of Market. Established in 1852 and purchased for $1,100 the first 65 acres began to take shape forming rolling hills and majestic landscapes. The perfect place to rest where trees will shield you and sunlight will dance on your stone. Now its 165 acres and in this gals opinion one of the most beautiful locations in Wilmington. Its quiet there, its peaceful there but most of all it’s a place to ponder your past and think about your future. Where will you decide to be laid to rest? Will your monument be tall like Robert Bellamy’s grave or small and plain like sisters Eliza & Ellen’s. Their graves match as do Marsden & Willies. Baby Kate’s marker is tiny, symbolizing a short life yet reflecting a great loss. The Bellamy family member’s grave markers are not huge & foreboding, but rather plain and ordinary. There are no elaborate ornaments and bold claims. Everyone faces in the same direction. Fitting I think, after all, the civil war laid out for the Bellamy’s the path that would shape their future lives. Curving and winding as old views turned into new and change was inevitable… As this family once stood together united to their cause and firm in their convictions they now lay together in the same way.
So take a moment won’t you? The next time you have the chance to visit the Bellamy’s. You have seen their mark they made @ 503 Market Street now walk among them at Oakdale Cemetery.
Reflex on this family; what they stood for, their beliefs, ideas and morals. Their markers are a reminder of their past, but far greater is the lesson of how frail we all are.
Before John Bellamy died he gathered his children beside him and asked of them to be kind to each other. Not to quarrel and to treat their mother with respect. The Bellamy children honored their father’s request and they left us all with treasures to enjoy. Thank you. Thank you.
May many happy blessings come your way….warm regards Lori
