Tribute to Mary Sutherland: Evening News, New Glasgow

GARDEN OF EDEN-Towering high above the other memorials in the Garden of Eden cemetery, the lone figure of "The Woman In Stone" stands outlined against the sky.

The unusual memorial easily seen from the highway causes many to stop, inspect and admire the beautiful handiwork that went into the creation of the life-size figure.Ô

The story behind this figure in an unusual one; of the bride who died at an age of 34 years, and of the broken-hearted husband who had the memorial cut in her image and didn't live to see it completed.

The monument to the departed loved one stands in the center of the neat and well kept Garden of Eden cemetery and the inscription reads as follows:

"In loving memory of Mary Sutherland the daughter of George and Elizabeth Sutherland of the Garden of Eden, N.S. and wife of Roderick Morrison of Roxborough, Ont. Died July 26th, 1892. Aged 34 years"

"Trusting in the glorious resurrection of the just"
Roderick Morrison asked James King, a stonemason, to create a life size figure of his wife from a photo of her in her bridal gown. Morrison died before it was completed and had not paid for the work. In spite of this James King finished creating the the image from the native stone, and had the memorial erected above the grave where today it stands as firmly as when it was placed on the rising hillside many years ago.

This statue of the bride in her wedding dress, where even the dress folds fall into natural lines about the stone figure, and the wedding band on her finger, is probably the best work done by James King.

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