by Judith Radford
Who would have known there was so much history buried nearby and covered over by many years of neglect?
A little research on the part of some Lake Elizabeth residents in Grafton have unearthed a small cemetery. The property, known in Grafton’s historical files as Lake Elizabeth Cemetery #27, is located just beyond the old “cedar house” on the old Clarence Church property.
On Saturday, October 18, a small group consisting of Les Radford, Don Schmidt, Les Wormuth, Kevin and Linda Cleary, Jane Oswald and her father Henry got together with chainsaws and rakes to remove trees, twigs and underbrush in order to unveil a long forgotten part of Grafton’s history.
Some of the people buried here in this quiet and secluded spot overlooking the lake include John and Marvil Baxter, Diedamia Boone, several Burdicks, Crandalls, Demorays, Durkees, Jones, Lambs, McChesneys, Parks, Rogers, Sees, Smiths, Stewards, Straits and Waites. A brother and sister, Elizabeth and John Brown, both died the same year (1852) at the age of 2 years and 2 months respectively. The Crandall family lost Angelina, 1 year old in 1831, Huldah Ann, 6 years, in 1837 and Roxanna, 7 years, in 1842. With so many babies and children buried here, it can only be surmised that they died from some sort of an epidemic. In all there are 78 graves with most of them being infants and children. The oldest person buried in Lake Elizabeth Cemetery #27 is Eliphalet Steward who passed on at 86 years of age in the year 1871. The youngest was Samuel J. Burdick who died at 11 days old in the year 1850.
A small plank bridge that used to be a dock has been added so the cemetery is now accessible and family members may visit if they wish to do so. Also, anyone who thinks someone from their family is buried in this cemetery and would like to participate in further clearing and renewal of tombstones may call Don Schmidt at 286-3560 or Les Radford at 279-0548. Further work will probably not continue until Spring of 2009.