Why Do Cemeteries Matter to Our History? Opportunity Knocks, Sept. 18

When Nola A. Forbes and I worked on the research for America 250: Revolutionary War Patriots of Waterford, Vermont, there were many moments when we had to sort out records ofr soldiers of the same name, like Moses Wright, who appeared in several locations. We used Ancestry.com for both family structure and the quick access to U.S. military records that it provides -- especially applications for military pensions. The good thing about pension applications was they usually happened when the men had grown older ("infirm" was the condition required), so there are better records than ones made during the Revolutionary War itself.

A second online source that gave great value and details was Find A Grave, where burials are often documented with photographs of the site, sorted by cemetery. Not all Waterford "patriots" were buried in this town -- some moved someplace else, often with a spouse or to reside with children, or else returned to their birth family's town.

And even some of those details turned out to sometimes be incorrect. A nice thing about Find A Grave is that it's simple for a researcher to request a correction, and sometimes this is implemented right away.

The other great thing about these burial records is, we could literally visit the cemetery, especially if it was in Waterford, and confirm the soldier's marker stone.

BUT! Our older cemeteries especially have taken damage from weathering and age. Two burials that I went to check at the West Waterford Cemetery were complicated this way. Thanks to cleaning and repairing stones in that Duck Pond Road location a few years ago, and with help from Find A Grave, one stone could be located and was partly legible. The other may have vanished -- tragically, sometime vandals knock down, break, or even remove one of these markers.

Recently we appreciated financial help from a descendant to have a massive marble stone repaired at the Cushman Cemetery. Later in the fall we hope to do some stone cleaning there (done with special care, tools, and a special cleaning product that won't damage stone), in order to read those stones better. It's a form of care for both our past and our future, since it helps others rediscover these burials.

So it's exciting that Waterford's Cemetery Commission and a volunteer team have been giving this kind of care to the Lower Waterford Cemetery, one of two in the town that still receive new burials. Visit this lovely park-like setting, especially striking when the trees and shrubs turn color in autumn, and stroll among Waterford's historic markers.

Ready to learn how the cleaning takes place, and to contribute some elbow grease or applause? Mark your calendar for Friday September 18 at 9 a.m. and join a team doing work you'll value. Bring a grandchild, grandparent, or visitor, too!

This pleasant and rewarding effort matters to Waterford history. So do you!