Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park

Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park

Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park is a pet cemetery located in Elkridge, Maryland, USA. The cemetery was established in 1935, and was actively operated until 2002. Approximately 8,000 animals and humans are buried in the cemetery's 11½ acres, which is large enough to accommodate about 24,000 pets.

The cemetery is named for Rosa Bonheur (1822-1899), a French painter and sculptor noted for her paintings of animals.

Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park made national headlines in 1979 when it became the first pet cemetery in the world to allow humans to be buried alongside their pets. There are at least 20 humans, and perhaps as many as 100, buried at the cemetery. ["Dear Abby", "Sunday Intelligencer/Montgomery County Record", November 27, 1983.] ["Pet cemetery to bury people with pets", "Chronicle-Telegram" (Elyria, Ohio), May 20, 1979.]

By 2006, the cemetery was no longer accepting pet or human burials. The grounds of the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park are currently being maintained by local volunteers. [ [http://www.rosabonheursociety.com Rosa Bonheur Society] ] [http://www.gimpydogs.com/rosabonheur.html Save Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park] ]

The Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park is located at coord|39|11|5.3|N|76|45|36.9|W.

Noted animals buried at Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park include:

*Gypsy Queen. In 1925, World War I veteran Frank Heath and his horse Gypsy Queen began a journey across the United States, with the goal of visiting all 48 states. They completed the trip more than two years later, returning to their starting point in Washington, D.C. in 1927. In all, the pair covered 11,356 miles, making it the longest trail ever covered by one horse under saddle. Gypsy Queen died in 1936, and a bronze tablet was erected in her honor at the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park in 1938. Gypsy Queen also has a burial plot at the cemetery. [Heath, Frank. "Forty Million Hoofbeats". The Long Riders' Guild Press, 2001. ISBN 1-59048-072-4] ["What became of Gypsy Queen, the famous horse?", "The Helena Daily Independent", August 3, 1938.]

*Mary Ann. Mary Ann was the first elephant at the Baltimore Zoo. She was brought to Baltimore from India in 1922, and was especially popular with children. Mary Ann died in 1942 after falling over in her sleep and injuring her spine. Her heart was buried at the cemetery after her death. ["Sleepy Elephant Topples Over, Injures Spine", "The Washington Post", April 23, 1942.] [ [http://www.gimpydogs.com/bonheur/maryann.html Mary Ann: The Forgotten Dream] ]

*Corporal Rex Ahlbin. Rex Ahlbin was a combat dog who served with the US Marine Corps during World War II. Rex served with the US 3rd Marine Division during the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay at Bougainville Island in 1943. Rex, a two-year-old Doberman, warned of the presence of Japanese soldiers near a Marine position, enabling Marines to fend off a later attack. Rex also served with the Marine Corps during the Guadalcanal campaign and at the Battle of Tinian. For his service, Rex was promoted to the rank of corporal by the Marine Corps in 1944. Rex is buried near the center of the cemetery, with a marker noting his service to his country. ["More Dogs Join Heroes' Ranks", "The Washington Post", January 23, 1944.]

*Washington Bullets mascots. Several mascots for the Washington Bullets basketball team are buried at the cemetery: "Tiny BB" (1966-87), Alex "The Bullet" (1957-75), and "Buckshot" (1964-67).

*Little Van Atta (1947-55), an underground courier dog born in France, who is said to have brought the news of D-Day to her native city with a message hidden in her collar.

*Pretty Boy Boyer (1954-56), a parakeet with a vocabulary of 1000 words. His headstone is inscribed "Bye, Bye, Mommy, see you later," which is what he always said when his owner left the room."Pet Cemetery Features Trees and Brook", "The News", October 11, 1965.]

*Carlo (1939-66), a dog. At age 27, he was "one of the oldest authenticated dogs in the country".

*Gretchen (1939-50), a boxer who saved the lives of her owner and the owner's father by waking them up during the night when a fire broke out in their home.

*Moses Gigrandy (1929–42), a monkey.

*Misty, a German Shepherd seeing-eye dog to a veteran blinded at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

*Sylvester, a rabbit who slept on his young polio-stricken master's bed for three years and was trained to play certain games. Shortly after the boy died, Sylvester passed on and was buried at Bonheur.

*Wiggles, a 29-year-old champion horse.

*Lizzy, a monitor lizard born in Africa.

*Amanda, a guinea pig.

*Buster Ward (1967-79), a pigeon.

*Also reported to be buried at Bonheur: a lion, ["For $325, the Hamster Goes in Style", "Daily Intelligencer/Montgomery County Record", August 12, 1985.] squirrels, and white mice. ["Together Forever: Cemetery to Bury Owners Beside Pets", "The Washington Post", December 7, 1978.]

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