SOUTHWICK – A couple from Southwick is in search of their white ceramic guardian angel that has gone missing from the Southwick New Cemetery. Gary and Frances Allen had the 2 ft. ceramic at the cemetery for almost 40 years and believed it has been missing for nearly a week.
Gary and Frances Allen are looking for their ceramic guardian angel that has been missing from the Southwick New Cemetery. (Photo from Frances Allen)
Ten years after the Allen’s infant daughter, Angel, passed away in 1969, they had a ceramic guardian angel installed on their daughter’s burial plot in 1979. Frances Allen’s parents made the item, who owned Cecile’s Ceramics in town.
According to Frances, she and Gary visited Angel’s grave last Tuesday and it was still there. When speaking to the workers at the new cemetery, they said it wasn’t raked or mowed. The angel is held in place by a metal pole and is too heavy to blow over by the wind. This leads Allen to believe that it’s been stolen.
“She’s been guarding there for a lot of years and I find it heartbreaking that somebody would steal it,” said Allen.
Further describing the ceramic, Allen says it’s all white, glazed, with wings, and shows the angel having its hands together praying. On the bottom of the ceramic are the etched initials C.B. or B.A.B..
“We’ve been back every day looking and hoping that somebody would see the post,” said Allen. “It just means a lot.”
In the meantime, the Allen’s have put a mum over the post to help the display not look as empty. If anyone knows where the ceramic guardian angel is or has found it, contact the Cemetery Commission at 413-569-3137, ext. 142.
