No stone left alone

Cedar Hill Middle School students visit St Luke, Cedar Hill cemetery for Remembrance Day ceremony 

On Nov. 3, 500 students from Cedar Hill Middle School took part in a “No Stone Left Alone” ceremony at St Luke’s to honour the 158 veterans buried in the cemetery. 

No Stone Left Alone is a foundation set up in 2011 by Maureen Bianchini Purvis, the daughter of Lillian Mary Bianchini, a Canadian WWII veteran who died when Maureen was a girl. Every year, on Remembrance Day, Maureen would visit the cemetery where her mother was buried, to lay a poppy on her headstone. When Maureen’s children noticed that none of the other veteran’s headstones had a poppy on them, Maureen decided to do something about it.  

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Not only does the foundation work to ensure no stone is left alone, but it also works to engage children and youth and create a meaningful experience of Remembrance Day.  

Students from all grades at Cedar Hill Middle School attended the ceremony, while Grade 8 students acted as emcees, read poems, and explained the significance of the bugle calls “Last Post” and “Reveille.” At the end of the ceremony, students placed painted poppy rocks on the veterans’ graves.  

“It was an impactful and moving ceremony,” said Barb Prescott, the church’s communications coordinator. “St. Luke’s is pleased to have this community connection with Cedar Hill Middle School.” 

Cedar Hill Middle School students visit St Luke’s cemetery for a No Stone Left Alone ceremony, led by the Grade 8 students. Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Cedar Hill Middle School students visit St Luke’s cemetery for a No Stone Left Alone ceremony. Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Students from Cedar Hill Middle School explained the significance of the bugle calls “Last Post” and “Reveille.” Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Cedar Hill Middle School students visit St Luke’s cemetery for a No Stone Left Alone ceremony. Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Cedar Hill Middle School students painted poppies on stones to leave at veterans’ graves during a No Stone Left Alone ceremony at St Luke’s cemetery. Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Cedar Hill Middle School students place stones painted with poppies on veterans’ graves during a No Stone Left Alone ceremony at St Luke’s cemetery. Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Cedar Hill Middle School students place stones painted with poppies on veterans’ graves during a No Stone Left Alone ceremony at St Luke’s cemetery. Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Stones painted with poppies on a veteran’s grave at St Luke’s cemetery. Photo by Gillian Davidson.

Cedar Hill Middle School students visit St Luke’s cemetery for a No Stone Left Alone ceremony. Photo by Barb Prescott.

A Remembrance Day quilt created by St Luke’s parishioner Brenda Morgan. Brenda explains the quilt and its symbolism as follows: “My Remembrance Day quilt is built on WWI symbols, the most important being the poppy. It depicts a battlefield, where a spectral cross in transparent white fabric symbolizes the place where the unknown soldier fell and was lost in the mud. Only the spirit world knows where he fell, and the ghostly cross stands planted in the spot. Ironically, his pocket watch from a loved one is all that survives, as love does. The poppies, as though in honour of him, grow up and around the cross. The larger poppies in the foreground are three-dimensional, very much alive. In the distance, three rifles with helmets are planted in the ground to symbolize the death and the sacrifice of so many soldiers. Barbed wire shows the great divide of war; while above, embroidered birds fly on, oblivious to everything. The border is red, edged in black; red, to show the blood that was spilt, and black, a reference to the black-edged stationery and black bands that were used.” Photo by Barb Prescott.

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