Bean Puzzle Tombstone ON
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Description: The Puzzle Tombstone is a remarkable marker denoting the final resting place of Henrietta and Susanna Bean, situated in Rushes Cemetery near Crosshill within Wellesley Township, Ontario. This cemetery, serving as a communal burial ground, dates back to the mid-1800s, with its earliest recorded interment in 1848. Its origins can be traced to a community of local Methodists who established it. Samuel Bean, an individual of multifaceted roles, was initially a teacher, later becoming a doctor and eventually a pastor in the Evangelical Association. While he was practicing medicine, he resided in Linwood, Ontario. During this period, he erected the enigmatic puzzle stone, showcasing his penchant for enigmas and conundrums, much akin to the one found on this very gravestone. Subsequently, he entered matrimony for a third time, relocated to New York and Iowa, and tragically vanished at sea off the Cuban coast in 1904. Samuel Bean was undoubtedly a brilliant intellect with a curious mind, mirroring the intrigue found within the puzzle enigma depicted on this memorial. Henrietta and Susanna Bean, the first two wives of Samuel Bean, played poignant roles in his life. Henrietta Fury, born in Philadelphia in 1842, became Samuel Bean's wife there in early 1865. However, her life was tragically brief, as she passed away on September 27, 1865, merely seven months into their union. An intriguing detail is that her funeral card itself was a puzzle akin to the carved stone, featuring a 19 by 19 letter grid to be read spirally from the middle letter outward. The card poignantly commemorated Henrietta Fury Bean, emphasizing her role as a model wife, her departure from friends, and her devoted five years of a pious life. She departed at the age of 23 years, 2 months, and 17 days, leaving behind a legacy cherished by her grieving husband and all who knew her. Samuel Bean's second wife, Susanna Clegg, was born between Wellesley and Crosshill in 1840. Together, Samuel and Susanna had a daughter named Susanna. Tragedy struck a second time for Samuel when he lost his second wife on April 27, 1967.