The Friend Family Grave
Photo by the author.
On the western edge of Fernwood Cemetery in Yeadon, an unusual gravestone sits on a crowded hillside. It was originally the grave of Marianne Friend who passed away in December of 1932. She grew up locally, and although she had been living in Florida at the time of her death, her husband Gilbert had her remains returned to the area for burial near her family.
One night in March of 1933, Gilbert, who was staying with his own relatives near the cemetery, took his three young children (8y, 6y, and 6m) to his wife's grave, where he shot them to death before turning the gun on himself. To ensure their bodies would be found, he left a note with the cemetery plot number on the dashboard of the borrowed car he'd parked on the road. Also in the car, he left behind a long and chilling explanation of his motive, claiming that he was despondent following his wife's death the previous year and wanted his family to be reunited.
Marianne, Gilbert, and the three children are now buried here together.
It is chilling to note that Gilbert must have had their tombstone made with this sinister plan in mind, because he made it with all of their names. (The death dates for himself and the children were added after the murder-suicide.) He also authored the poem in the middle, which reads:
Marianne, my sweetheart wife --
Glad love is mad love
Deep as the sea!
Folks say it's madness
That you love me.
Long love is strong love,
Naught can subdue!
No one may measure
The way I love you.
Madness and gladness,
Love's always so!
The longer and stronger
the more love we know.
Only Gil,
Your husband.
Chester Times, March 20, 1933
Pottstown Mercury, March 18, 1933
