Cemetery plots prove it’s a small world

loading...
Even as a child, I knew where my grandparents would be buried one day. There was room for Edith and Stanley Steeves in the village cemetery in Sangerville, in the same lot as Grampy’s unnamed baby brother who had died at 1 day old in 1918.
Sign in or Subscribe to view this content.

Even as a child, I knew where my grandparents would be buried one day. There was room for Edith and Stanley Steeves in the village cemetery in Sangerville, in the same lot as Grampy’s unnamed baby brother who had died at 1 day old in 1918.

And that’s where they are, every Memorial Day when I go to place flowers on the graves.

I don’t seem to look around at the nearby lots, I guess because I know “where everybody’s buried.”

Or thought I did. For some reason, this year I perused the stones in the row in front of my grandparents, noting the graves of Ruth A. Wilson, 1851-1917, and Stephen B. Wilson, 1852-1947. With them was their son, Walter H. Wilson, Feb. 2, 1887-Jan. 4, 1958; and his wife, Myrtle M., Dec. 29, 1897-Oct. 29-1974.

The name of Ruth Wilson rang a bell. Wasn’t she a Steeves and somehow related to my grandfather?

Turns out Ruth was an aunt to Stanley’s father, Harry Steeves, and therefore my grandfather’s great-aunt.

So who’s buried in the other direction? The Stones, with small granite markers for Clifton and Bessie.

How about that. Bessie was a half sister to Harry Steeves’ wife, Thressa Given.

These are relatives I knew about but presumed were buried elsewhere. It’s a small world.

A scrapbook kept by my grandmother Edith Roberts Steeves got a good going-over recently.

There was even a bit of weather news in the 60th anniversary article on Mr. and Mrs. Liston P. Evans, publisher of the Piscataquis Observer. The story noted that there had been a blizzard on the day of the wedding, which I believe was Nov. 17, 1874.

Mrs. Evans was described as “a daughter of Asa Getchell” in the 1934 article, but her first name was not given. It was Clara.

Often, we can use articles or other scrapbook items to figure out dates of birth, marriage or death.

Of course, the marriage index for Maine is online free at www.maine.gov/sos/arc/ for 1892-1966 and 1977-1996.

But the death index on the same Web site only covers 1960-1996.

So here are a few death dates I discerned from the scrapbook:

Vera Albee Roberts, wife of Herbert A. Roberts, died March 14, 1931, Dover-Foxcroft.

Agnes R. Eldridge, widow of David C. Eldridge, died March 23, 1929, Fairfield; buried Corinna Center cemetery.

Hattie Hart Roberts, died Jan. 18, 1928, Linden, Mass.

Etta Eldridge Roberts, wife of Stanley W. Roberts, died Jan. 4, 1933, Fairfield; buried Dover-Foxcroft.

Belle Stinchfield of Corinna, died March 2, 1934.

Marcia M. Bryant, wife of Herbert P. Bryant, died Jan. 12, 1937, Dover-Foxcroft.

There are wedding articles, as well. I see that my grandmother was an “out of town guest” at the marriage of Elinor R. McNaughton to Edward F. Chase on June 1, 1935.

Here’s the puzzle. Edith’s younger brother, Ernest Roberts, was married the same day in Fairfield to Velma Wheeler. It was a small wedding, but in attendance were two of Ernest’s other sisters, Elsie and Marion. But not Edith or Hazel.

Within my memory, in the late ’50s and the ’60s, I used to go visit all of the aunts and uncles with my grandparents.

The Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society will present a video program, “Gravestone Repair Workshop,” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 20, at the Sorrento-Sullivan Recreation Center on Route 1, just east of the Hancock-Sullivan Bridge.

All are welcome, and refreshments will be served.

The Washington County Genealogical Society will meet at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Machias home of Valdine Atwood. The home is located at the corner of Free and Main streets, across the street from the Burnham Tavern.

Those attending are asked to enter on the Main Street side of the house. The program for the afternoon will be led by Mrs. Atwood, who will discuss “Resources at Porter Memorial Library and the University of Maine at Machias Library.”

Membership in WCGS is open to anyone interested in learning more about family genealogy and history, especially in Washington County and neighboring Charlotte County, New Brunswick. The group meets on the third Saturday of the month from March to November, with the exception of July and August. Dues are $10 a year. Members receive a quarterly newsletter, “Weirs & Woods,” which features free queries, information and the exchange of genealogical material.

For further information, contact president Frances Raye at 853-6630; or secretary Valdine Atwood at 255-4432.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402; or familyti@bangordailynews.net.


Have feedback? Want to know more? Send us ideas for follow-up stories.

comments for this post are closed

By continuing to use this site, you give your consent to our use of cookies for analytics, personalization and ads. Learn more.