My great-great grandparents, Paddy Bourke & Margaret Bourke.

Patrick Bourke was born on July 20, 1843, at Moonee Ponds, the second child of Tipperary-born immigrants John Bourke and his wife Judith Meehan. His parents had arrived in Victoria on the ship ‘Duchess Of Northumberland” in 1841, with seven year old William, a son from a previous marriage. Judith was pregnant during the trip, and their first son Michael was born in Melbourne several months after their arrival.

Patrick, or “Paddy” as he was always known, was baptised ten days after his birth, at St. Francis’ Roman Catholic Church, Melbourne.

When only three years old, Paddy moved with his family (who by then had expanded with the addition of a third son, John) from Moonee Ponds to Kilmore, north of Melbourne.
Located in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, Kilmore was settled by a predominantly Irish population who saw in the area a strong resemblance to the Ireland they had left behind. John and Judith Bourke and their three sons were amongst the first settlers in the Kilmore area when they arrived in 1846.

Two more sons, Edmund and Joseph, and a daughter Ellen, were born at Kilmore. Edmund was born in 1847, and Joe and Ellen were both baptised in 1850. Joseph died in infancy, but the remaining five children survived to adulthood to marry and raise large families.

Paddy Bourke was ten years old when his father John died, on March 20th, 1853, aged only 44 years. His 39 year old mother Judith managed to raise her children alone without having to remarry, as so many widows were forced to do in the 1800s. Her brother, Patrick Meehan, had also settled in the Kilmore area with his young family, so he most likely would have given his sister some support, whether emotional, financial or just lending a hand when needed. Judith was popular as a midwife with Kilmore’s labouring mothers, so she would have gained some income, however small, from this pursuit.
Whatever the case, Judith Bourke ensured that all of her children received a good education, probably at St. Patrick’s School in Sutherland Street, Kilmore, which had been started by Father Charles Clarke in 1851.

A school inspector named Childers visited the St. Patrick’s school in 1851, and wrote the following:

“ I visited this school in Sydney Street on April the 30th, accompanied by the clergyman, Rev. C. Clarke. The school is a slab hut with shingled roof, not plastered, no floor. Is in good condition, and was erected in 1848. schoolroom is 36 & 11 (???) Has glass windows, a fireplace and two windows. There are 33 boys and 7 girls present.”

After schooling had finished for Paddy, he worked as a shopkeeper in Kilmore. He was still in this occupation at the age of 26 when, on September 25, 1869, he married Margaret Mary Bourke in the beautiful bluestone St. Patrick’s Catholic Church at Kilmore.

Aged 21, Margaret was the daughter of Bylands farmer Patrick Bourke and his wife Bridget Corbett, and had been born at Kilmore in 1848. Although both Paddy’s and Margaret’s parents had immigrated to Victoria from Tipperary, there is no evidence to suggest that they were related.

Witnesses to the marriage were Paddy’s elder brother, Michael Bourke, and Margaret’s only sister to survive to adulthood, Bridget Bourke.
The priest who conducted the ceremony was Father Robert Meade, who was the assistant priest at Kilmore from 1866-1871. He assisted Father Michael Brannigan, who died at the young age of 39 in 1870, his final illness being bought on by a bad cold caught during the ‘discharge of his up-country duties’.

Paddy continued to work as a storekeeper for at least four more years after his marriage. He owned his own store in Kilmore that went by the name of 'Noah's Ark'., which he maintained ownership of until its sale in 1878. In 1870, Paddy Bourke advertised in the Kilmore Free Press to "notify the inhabitants of Kilmore and Surrounding Districts that he has become the proprietor" of the Morning Star Stores, "commodious and old established stores situated in the New Township, Kilmore." He also advertised that "Ales, Wines and Spirits of the best quality always on hand."

During this period, Margaret bore him two sons, John born in 1870 and Patrick Francis in 1872. Following their two boys, Margaret gave birth to their first daughter, Bridget Mary Frances. No birth certificate has ever been located for Bridget, so it is uncertain whether she was born in Kilmore or after the family had moved from the district. The only clue may lie in a tiny, torn old notebook. On the front in black spidery writing is “ Private Book of Mrs. P. Bourke, Yarrawonga”. The inside cover reveals a partial “Almanack for 1871”(sic), which is torn halfway through, as is the entire book, which is comprised of only several pages.
First entry states that ‘Margaret and Patrick Bourke married on 25 of September, 1869”.
Following is written:
“ First child born John on 17th November 1870.
Patrick Francis born on 8th July 1872.
Bridget born on the 1st of June 1874.
Michael Bourke born on the 27th ( torn)”.

There are several torn blank pages, then the following:-

“ 1869. Sept 25. Married.
1870. Nov 17. John Bourke born. Died 26 March 1890.
1872. July 8. Patrick Bourke born. Died on 17 December, 1886.
1874. June 1. Bridget Bourke born.
1877. January 27. Michael Bourke born. Died 21/10/1946.
1879. February 14. Edward James Bourke born. Died 17 July, 1884.
1884.April 24. William Bourke born. Died 18/1/1953.
1887. August 17. Margaret Bourke born. Died on the 23rd January,
1888.
1888. Mary Bourke born Dec 12. Died January 25, 1889.
1890. John Bourke born June 10th. Died on the 17th.”

Finally, on the last page, (reproduced on the following page), there is one final list, this one mentioning places of birth. It states that Paddy and Margaret’s first three children, including Bridget in 1874, were all born in Kilmore.

In the early 1870s, land was opened for selection near Yarrawonga on the Murray River. The area had originally been part of a huge run formed in 1842 by explorer Hamilton Hume, for his widowed sister-in-law, Elizabeth Hume. It had once stretched from Wahgunya, near Albury, through Yarrawonga and along the Murray River towards Cobram, covering some 85,000 acres.
In 1873, Paddy and Margaret Bourke and their two young sons selected land for farming at Burramine and the neighbouring parish of Boosey, both just north-west of Yarrawonga. Also leaving their homes at Kilmore to settle near the Murray were Paddy’s mother Judith Bourke, and his brothers Michael and Ned (Edward), and half-brother William. Paddy’s only sister Ellen took out a grant, as did her future husband, Kilmore man John Mannix. Roughly drawn sketches on the following pages show the locations of these land grants which, in later years, were described as being “second to none in the north east”.

The Bourke family would have had to work long, hard hours to clear their land of the many huge Murray River red Gums, which thrived in the area. The only method by which to fell trees at that time was to use axes and cross-saws to bring each tree down, and then grub out and burn the remaining stumps.
To fulfil the conditions stipulated in all leases, the Bourke brothers would then have had to erect fences. Many early settlers were forced to take on other jobs as well as those on their own farms in order to earn extra money to keep their families in food and clothing, as well as purchasing essential stock and equipment.

Paddy Bourke was one such farmer…on his river frontage site he established a store, post office and hotel to help generate income as well as filling an important need within the young developing Burramine community. His experience in Kilmore as a storekeeper would no doubt have stood him in good stead for opening up this business. Paddy kept both stores running at Kilmore and Burramine for several years before finally selling the Kilmore interest in 1878.

A book titled ‘Burramine And Beyond’ contains several interesting items which have helped to piece together Paddy Bourke’s life. On page 22 can be found the following excerpt:

“ There were two hotels in the Burramine district last century. Strangely enough, both were licensed on the 31st December, 1886. Both were operating, presumably unlicensed, well before this date, but of course the Liquor Commission has no record of this period. Both were deprived of their licenses on the 31st December, 1914.

The Burramine Hotel was operated by Paddy Bourke. It was situated near the Murray River on the northern end of the road dividing the Yarrawonga and Tungamah Shires.
Paddy Bourke took over the Burramine Hotel from his father in 1886 and operated it until it closed in 1914. (NOTE: This is incorrect. Paddy’s father John Bourke had died in 1853, and had never been to the Burramine district. ) Not only did he run a very stable and successful hotel, but he also ran the very popular Burramine West Races.
The Burramine Hotel was started in the early 1870s. It is said that Ned Kelly and his gang stopped there for a drink before they used Paddy Bourke’s boat to take them across the river at Bourke’s Bend on their now famous expedition to Jerilderie.”

The Ned Kelly-Paddy Bourke story is more than just hearsay. A comprehensive book on the history of Ned Kelly, called “ Ned Kelly- The Authentic Illustrated Story”, compiled and written by Keith McMenomy, states:

“ According to Tom Lloyd- who claimed to have acted as their scout- the Kellys crossed the border at Burramine, borrowed a boat owned by a publican named Bourke, ‘pulled across the Murray in two trips and swam their horses behind them, refreshing them after a long ride.’”
-Ref: Chapter 11: The Jerilderie Hold Up, 8 February, 1879.p 120.

Although Paddy’s daughter Bridget was only 4 ½ years old at the time, she insisted she remembered the event, and years later would tell her Sheridan grandchildren the tale (only Bridget maintained that Ned stole her father’s boat, not ‘borrowed’ it as suggested). This was actually been given credibility in 2005 as an online Internet site made public Tom Lloyd’s actual statement of what happened:-

“The Murray River was guarded by the united efforts of the border police of the two colonies, and the Kellys did not disturb them. They allowed the police to rest in peace. They heard of a crossing at Burramine, where they could swim their horses across, but they had no idea where to find a suitable landing place on the opposite bank. They sent their trusty provedore to Burramine to discover the spot and report. He went, and not wishing to attract attention by making inquiries, he urged his black cob into the river and swam across, but the strength of the current carried him down the river
and he could not land. He nearly got drowned. After a great struggle he succeeded in getting back to the Victorian side. He was defeated in his attempt to cross.
He then went up to Mr. P. Burke’s Hotel, which was close at hand. He was wet through and told the publican that his name was Kain, and that he had sold a team of bullocks to a bullocky over the river, and wanted to go across to collect the cheque. The publican saw the prospect of a few pounds being spent in his hotel out of the bullocky’s cheque, and being of a business turn of mind he said he would pull Mr. Kain across, and the latter could swim the horse behind the boat. Mr. Kain was very grateful. They both went down to the boat, which was secured to the root of a big gum-tree by a chain and padlock. The publican pulled to a recognised landing place, and Mr. Kain had no difficulty in getting his horse up the opposite bank.
Mr. Bourke said that if Mr. Kain would not be
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long away he would wait for him and pull him back again. Mr. Kain replied that he would not be absent for more than an hour. “Then I’ll wait till you come back,” said Mr. Bourke. Mr. Kain rode about a mile into New South Wales, then he dismounted and rested for some time. When the hour was nearly up he mounted his horse and returned to the river and found his good friend the publican waiting for him. Mr. Kain was pulled back again. He tied his horse up and assisted the publican to secure his boat to the root of the gum-tree. They had a few drinks, and Mr. Kain returned to Greta, and reported to Ned Kelly how to cross the Murray without disturbing the rest or hurting the feelings of the border police of the two colonies.
“You’ll have to take a small handsaw with you,” said Mr. Kain, “in order to saw the root and get the chain free.” Their horses were shod, and every detail of the expedition carefully attended to. A few days later the Kellys left Greta at dusk, and reached Burramine before daylight on Saturday morning, 8/2/79. They pulled across the Murray in two trips and swam their horses behind them. The swim refreshed the horses after their long ride.

The Welcome Home

The gang met, as arranged, on the banks of the Murray, where they had left the publican’s boat in the early hours of the previous Saturday morning.
To their dismay, the boat was gone. They were unable to get across without a boat, and were forced to camp in a bend of the Murray all day Tuesday, February 11. They had six horses and the custody of £2300, and, therefore they had to be careful. Joe Byrne strolled up the river, and discovered the boat used by the Boomanoomanah Station.
This boat was booked for their use, but it was not safe to commandeer it until after dark. Joe returned and reported his discovery. It was arranged that, after night-fall, Joe would go up for the boat and bring it down to their camp. The outlaws were anxious not to disturb or terrify the police, who were watching the crossings over the Murray. "

Paddy’s wife Margaret was in the final stages of her fifth pregnancy at the time of The Kelly Gang’s visit to the Burramine Pub. Although the Bourke family never claimed to be Kelly sympathisers (in fact, to do so may have resulted in them being arrested!) when their fourth son arrived the following week he was named Edward James Bourke. Known as ‘Ned’, the baby was born on February 14, 1879. The Bourkes and Kellys would have most definitely known eachother, both due to location when they all lived in the general region of Kilmore and Wallan, and through family relationships...Paddy's wife, Margaret Bourke, had an older brother, James Bourke, who was married to Ellen McClusky, a 2nd cousin of Ned Kelly. Ned's mother, Ellen Quinn, was the daughter of Mary McCluskey and James Quinn, who arrived in Victoria in 1841, like the Bourkes. Mary McClusky had a brother, James McCluskey, who also emigrated to Victroia. He married Elizabeth Miller, and it was their daughter, Ellen McCluskey, who married James Bourke from Boosey, thus becoming Margaret and Paddy Bourke's sister-in-law.

Paddy and James Bourke actually were witnesses to the will of Ellen's father, James McCluskey, who was Ned's great-uncle and the uncle of Ned's mother, Ellen. This family tie, plus the fact that the Bourkes and Kellys were all from Tipperary and that the immigrant Catholic Irish were notoriously clannish, makes it no surprise at all that Ned and his Gang chose the Burramine Pub site to slip across the Murray unseen by police.

Paddy and Margaret Bourke had a large family that was typical of most married couples at the time, particularly Catholics. They had a brood of nine children, although tragically only three survived to become adults. Incredibly, they lost six children in six years- four sons and two daughters.
Little Edward James Bourke died first, aged only 5 ½ years. He had started school at Tungamah State School in October 1883, aged 4 years and 5 months, and on July 17, 1884, passed away from inflammation of the brain, from which he had suffered for 3 weeks.

Two years later, 14 year old son Patrick contracted typhoid and died on December 17, 1886, and daughters Margaret and Mary died as babies in 1888 and 1889 respectively, Margaret of general debility and bronchitis and Mary from infantile cholera.

The following year, 1890, saw Paddy and Margaret burying their eldest and youngest sons. Nineteen year old John died in March, 1890,from albuminuria, a kidney-related disease, and when Margaret gave birth to her final child in June of 1890, he was named John in memory of his deceased eldest brother. The baby only lived for seven days before dying of enteritis, and Paddy and Margaret were left with two sons, Michael and William, and a daughter Bridget.

While farming and running a successful pub and store at Burramine, Paddy soon turned his attention to the nearby thriving township of Tungamah, located some twenty km south. He purchased land and cottages, and lived there for a number of years with his family while the children attended school at Tungamah. The old Tungamah State School register contained the following information about the Bourke children:


Name of child. / Name of parent/ school last attended/ age on 1st day of ½ year of attendance/ date of admittance.

John Bourke/ Patrick Bourke, Tungamah, Storekeeper/ Tungamah/ 11 years 8 months/ November 1882.
Patrick Bourke/ Patrick Bourke, Tungamah, storekeeper/ Tungamah/ 10 years/ November 1882.
Michael Bourke/ Patrick Bourke, Tungamah, storekeeper/ Tungamah/ 6 years/ January 1883.
Bridget Bourke/ Patrick Bourke, Tungamah, storekeeper/ Burramine North/ 8 years 7 months/ April 1883.
Edward Bourke/ Patrick Bourke, Tungamah, publican and storekeeper/ nil/ 4 years 5 months/ October 1883.
William Bourke/ Patrick Bourke, Tungamah, publican/ Burramine/ 9 years 2 months/ July 1893
Michael Bourke/ Patrick Bourke, Burramine, farmer/ Shepparton/ 16 years/ 1893.

Paddy leased out the Burramine Pub and store for a time, as shown in the following article published in the ‘Tungamah Express’ on April 3, 1884:

" BOOSEY: The Burramine West Hotel and Store, the property of Mr. P Bourke, of Tungamah, were burned to the ground on Friday evening last. The flames were first noticed issuing through the roof of the kitchen, and before anything could be done to stop the progress of the fire, the whole house was in a blaze. The fire spread so rapidly that nothing could be saved, the inmates barely escaping with their lives.
But for the presence of mind shown by Mr. Argus, Mrs. Campbell would inevitably have been burned, as she was nearly stupified when rescued by that gentleman.
The Burramine West mail, which had just been delivered, was totally consumed. Mr. Campbell estimates his loss at five hundred pounds, which is partly covered by insurance to the amount of one hundred and sixty pounds. Mr. Bourke will also lose heavily, as he is insured for only one hundred and fifty pounds. The origin of the fire is unknown, and although many surmises are given, yet it is impossible to know exactly how it occured."

Also appearing on the same date in the ‘Yarrawonga Chronicle’ was the following article:
“ FIRE AT BURRAMINE .
There was a serious fire at Burramine on Friday night when the Burramine West Hotel, post office and store ( all under one roof) were completely destroyed. The store was kept by Mr. Campbell, and others living on the premises were his wife, Mrs. Steele, Mrs. Blows, another lady and a servant girl. All the property in the house was destroyed . It belonged to Mr. P. Bourke of Tungamah, and was insured for £150. Mr. Campbell had the stock insured for £160, but estimates his loss at £500.”


The pub must have been rebuilt, presumably on the same site, as Paddy held the license until 1914. In 1878, Paddy purchased a block of land in Tungamah on which to build the Victoria Hotel. Situated at the southern end of Barr Street near the Boosey Creek, the land purchased by ‘Patrick Bourke of Tungamah, hotel keeper’ is still in family hands, over 125 years later. The Vic Hotel is sadly gone, having succumbed to the ravages of time, but a beautiful home stands in its stead, constructed from the original bricks used in the building of the Vic in 1885.

Paddy Bourke commissioned architect W. Rogers to draw up the specifications for his new two storey hotel.

In 1883, Paddy had obtained a license over one acre of ground south of the Boosey Creek and just within the township boundary with the plan to establish a brickworks facility. The red clay deposits used produced magnificent bricks of excellent quality, and Paddy incorporated most of his bricks for his own purposes, including the construction of the Victoria Hotel.

Paddy Bourke held the license for several years before leasing out the hotel and returning to Burramine. Postal directories from 1888-1900 record the licensees as follows:
1888-1889: William Daly
1891-1892: Isabel T. Vallender
1893-1894: James F. Thompson
1895-1896: Maria Osborne
1897-1898: John Poynton.
1899-1900: B. Sheridan

Bridget married Patrick James “Paddy” Sheridan several months later, and there have been Sheridan descendents living on the site ever since. Bridget and Paddy raised a family of six children there, and their eldest son, Patrick, was born in the still-functioning Vic in 1900. He in turn brought his bride, Mafra Bruce, back to his old home where together they raised four sons and four daughters. Patrick and Mafra died in 1978 and 1989 respectively, but their eldest daughter Ann Sheridan Einsporn still lives at the address with her family.

Returning to the story of the Bourkes at Burramine…. The family of Judith Meehan Bourke were all very keen and accomplished horsemen and women, and raced horses at the local race meetings. Horse racing was one of the earliest and most popular forms of entertainment in the Burramine district, and Paddy Bourke was involved from the beginning, organizing race meetings from the very first years of settlement.

An official Burramine Race Club was formed on September 27, 1898, and a newspaper report from 1899 states that after the seven race meetings, 600 people attended a ball in John Lawless’s barn.
Paddy Bourke was the secretary of the Burramine Race Club for years before and after it was officially formed, and other Bourke family members held down official roles over the years. A programme dated April 1893 names Paddy as “Hon. Secretary’, his brother John Bourke as a steward, brothers Ned and Michael as starter and clerk of scales respectively, and brother-in-law John Mannix as a judge.

Stuck to the inside cover of an old school book belonging to Michael Bourke, one of Paddy’s sons, was a racing programme for March 26, 1894. In the same book, Michael had copied out the horses and riders for each event. The Bourke entrants for the day were as follows:
Race One: Maidens Plate. 6 furlongs.
P. Bourke’s bay horse, Will Tell, 3 years.
Race Two: Members’ race. 6 furlongs.
P. Bourke’s bay horse Will Tell.
Race Three: Burramine Handicap. 1 mile.
P. Bourke’s bay horse Will Tell, carrying 6 stone 10 lb.
Race Four: William Tell Stakes.
P. Bourke’s bay mare May Tell.
Race Five: Handicap Hurdle Race. 2 miles
P. Bourke’s bay horse Will Tell, carrying 9 stone.
Race Six: Farmers’ Race. 6 furlongs.
P. Bourke’s brown gelding Bangle (carrying 14 stone)
P. Bourke’s bay gelding Never Tell (carrying 14 stone).
Race Seven: Handicap Trot. 2 miles.
P. Bourke’s brown gelding Bangle.

Not only did the horses have to contend with being raced several times in one afternoon, but those unfortunate enough to be entered in the Farmers’ race had a further job ahead of them if they crossed the finishing line first…before the owners collected their prize money, the winning horse had to pull a dray, with wheels locked, for 15 yards to the satisfaction of the judge!

Paddy Bourke was a community minded man, and was instrumental in the establishment of a school in the Burramine/Boosey district, writing many letters to the education department until a satisfactory result was achieved. He was a member of the local shire council at Yarrawonga, and was one of those who fought to have the municipal seat transferred to Tungamah.
During his life, despite personal tragedies such as the deaths of six of his children, Paddy Bourke was a very successful storekeeper, publican and farmer. At the time of his death in 1915, at the age of 72 years, Paddy’s obituary described him as:-

“ A man of fine physique’ who “ possessed a wonderful and
healthy constitution and looked much younger than 75,
which was his age” ( in fact, Paddy was 72)

Postal and trade directories list Patrick Bourke as being “PUBLICAN, BURRAMINE WEST” right up to 1914, the year before his death.

On March 23, 1910, the local paper noted that the license for the Burramine Pub had been transferred from Mrs Ashman back to Patrick Bourke. On August 15, 1914, the Licensing Reduction Board met in Yarrawonga to collect evidence to decide what local hotels to delicense...there were 22 hotels in the district, ten in excess of the statuatory number. They decided on four hotels...Griffiths' Farmers' Arms at Burramine South, Patrick Bourke's Hotel, Burramine, Mrs Mary Allen's Exchange Hotel in Yarrawonga, and the Bathumi Hotel.
The Licensing Reduction Board met again in October of 1914, and awarded compensation to the four hotel owners- Paddy Bourke received 275 pounds; Paddy Griffins 280; Mrs Allen 375 pounds; Mrs. Walsh Bathumi Hotel, Bundalong, 210 pounds owner, 25 pounds license.
The loss of license was effective from the end of 1914.

Paddy Bourke died on Saturday, January 16, 1915, at his Burramine home. He was buried the following day in the Burramine Cemetery, but surprisingly, Paddy’s exact place of rest is not known, as the grave was never marked by a headstone.

Paddy Bourke’s obituary was published in the “Yarrawonga Chronicle” on January 26, 1915, and reads as follows:

“ THE DEATH ROLL.
MR. PATRICK BOURKE.
After an illness of some months’ duration (says the Tungamah Independent) there passed away on Saturday evening, 16th inst, at his late residence, Burramine, a well-known pioneer of the district in the person of Mr. Patrick Bourke. It is very many years ago since the deceased left Kilmore to select land in this locality. Although at that time the district was a veritable wild, he exhibited considerable sagacity when he selected on the river in Burramine parish, for the land he and his brothers took up is second to none in the north-east.
Of a business turn of mind, the late Mr. Bourke established a store and hotel on the river frontage site, and the latter only ceased to hold a license at the end of last year. Almost without intermission, this business was conducted by deceased, who also erected a two-storey hotel and several cottages in Tungamah, when this town was first coming into prominence.
The late Mr. Bourke possessed a rare memory, and his relation of anecdotes and historical events pertaining to the early pioneer days of the district was always interesting.
He was a man of fine physique, and until his last fatal illness he possessed a wonderful healthy and active constitution, and looked much younger than 75, which was his age.
In the early days of municipal government, Mr. Bourke took an active part in public matters, and was a member of the council of the old Yarrawonga Shire, which then included Tungamah, and he was the principal mover in having the municipal seat of government transferred to Tungamah.
Of late years, however, he retired from public life, and devoted his attention to his personal business affairs. A widow and grown up family survive the deceased, whose memory was strikingly respected, as manifested by the large attendance which, despite the fearful heat, followed the remains on Sunday to the place of internment in the Burramine Cemetery. Father Cassimir, a mission priest of the Vincentian order who is on a visit to the district to relieve Father Kennedy, read the burial service at the grave.”
- Yarrawonga Chronicle, January 26, 1915.

The Yarrawonga Mercury, on Tuesday January 19, 1915, carried the following article:
“ The death occurred on Saturday afternoon last of a well-known district identity in the person of Mr. Patrick Bourke, one of the oldest settlers in the Burramine district. Mr. Bourke, who has not enjoyed good health for some time past, conducted the Burramine Hotel, and was highly respected by the residents. The funeral took place on Sunday, the remains being interred in the Burramine Cemetery. There was a large attendance of mourners, and the burial service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev. Father Cassimir”