You may remember some time ago that I shared with you this story of a little grave surrounded by the baby’s own cot as a memorial. This story, which I have re-posted twice as it has been so popular has produced the most wonderful outcome. There have been many times where families have been reunited by finding information on the Outback Family History site, but this one really brought a tear to my eye.
It started with a phone call from an unknown mobile. The caller identified himself as Frank Zadcovich and he said he was calling from the Kalgoorlie Cemetery where he was standing beside the grave of his brother, who until recently, he had not known even existed. His daughter-in-law had come across the story online and sent it to him. Frank lives in the Eastern States and his family brought him to WA to visit his ‘unknown’ brother’s grave for his 70th Birthday. I was just so amazed that this had come about. He told me that he had been born a few years after little Allan and he thought that if Allan had lived he himself may have occupied that same cot in his turn. He just sent me the following photo with him standing by the grave. he said that his family had never mentioned little Allan. I suppose in those days people didnt talk about the loss of a child. Perhaps the memory was too painful for them. Frank laid flowers on the grave while here but I told him that I had never seen this little grave without some flowers on it. I’m sure you will agree that this is just the best story???
Frank Zadcovich at the grave of his brother Allan Zadkovich – 2021
The Original Story:
Some years ago I posted the following photograph of this sad little grave in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. At the time I took the photograph I had no idea of the name of the child buried there. The fact that the child’s cot had been used as a grave surround, evokes all the sadness of a family who was unable to afford a proper memorial. I have often passed by this little grave and thought how it represents all the many thousands of little ones who have died before their time in the years of high child mortality from both accidents, illness, and premature births.
Now thanks to the staff at the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, I now have the name and I have found the story to go with it!
Allan William Zadkovich – aged 5 months
Grave No 9678 Roman Catholic section, interred 13 August 1943. Little Allan was a child of the woodline, as the following article will show. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Anton and Kate Zadkovich and he had a brother, Anton Johnnie, and an uncle Frank. Life on the Woodline in 1943 would be a hard one. It is not known what the cause of death was for little Allan, it could be an accident, but more likely to be one of the many possibly fatal, childhood diseases of the time.
Fate was not yet done with this little family. Kate (aged 52), Allan’s mother, was herself to die on the 1st of Oct 1952 in Boulder. Kate was to join Allan at the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, but not in the same grave.
NOTE:- Should you wish to see this little grave you can walk along the pathway outside the Kalgoorlie cemetery towards Hammond Park (catholic section). Not far from the main gate and close to a large tree nearly on the boundary fence, you will find it easily.
Moya Sharp
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