MINUTES OF FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2009
Our meeting was called to order @ 7:35 pm by Meng Chi Tsen, President. There were 37 people in attendance. Three reminder notices were read. 1. Our Stoddard calendars are still for sale for $5.00 (each.) They’re almost gone! 2. We need to go back to have 2-3 people provide refreshments at each meeting. It is too much for Mary Lou Stymest to do solo any more. We had two volunteers sign up for June. The sign-up sheets will be available at our next meeting also. 3. We’re doing a joint program on Friday February 12, 2010 with The Friends of the Davis Library. The speaker is from the NH Humanities Council. Her program is: JRR Tolkien - “The Uses of Fantasy.” Please save this wonderful date for your family. (Our president also passed out copies of an e-mail just received today from Don Healy, one of our directors to the Board. It was relevant to our By-Laws’ updating.) No further action was taken on this.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: was read by Nancy Taylor. A motion to accept it was made by Alan Rumrill and seconded by Fred Ward.
TREASURER’S REPORT: was read by Jean Kelly. Current Monadnock Community Bank balance is $1,637.31. Our 12 month CD @ 3% at the same bank is $4,280.72.
TONIGHT’S POWERPOINT PROGRAM was given by Alan Rumrill titled: “THE CEMETERIES IN STODDARD.” It was core local history as: who is buried in them, where the cemeteries are, stories of some of those buried there and genealogy, etc.
DOW HILL CEMETERY - located on School Street at Center Pond Road. It is the oldest-established cemetery in Stoddard, dating back to 1792 with 200 graves. Grave of John Tenney - 1907 - as photographed by Charlie Peirce. The Redd family headstone for their children was the saddest. Dates are from 1792-1795 and shows their ages from 2 hours to 4 years old.
The Hearse House was built in 1853. In 1866 a new one was built. The actual hearse was may last used in 1935. In 1967 the Hearse House was moved next to our Historical Society House at a cost of $1.00.
Dr. Harvey Fisher cared for the Dodge children. Notable stone was that of Francis Matzen, a U.S. Congressman, from 1821 to 1825. Stone design looks almost like a water pattern of beautiful waves. He was associated with the staff of Benjamin and Franklin Pierce.. Another notable grave was of Rev. Robinson-dies at age 101. He was Pastor of our Stoddard Congregational Church for 75 years. Nathan Gould’s stone is close to the wall on the new addition built in 1988.
ROBB CEMETERY: located on Rt. 123 South. It was established in 1824 to the present. The first family in town - the Moors are buried there. Eliza Jenkins committed suicide. She hung herself on a tree on their farm. Joseph Foster bought a farm and established the glass factory there. He served in the Civil War with other veterans - Charles Russell and Anthony Stevens, in the Battle of Fredericksburg. One of them was only 16 years old. Henry Stevens knew why this cemetery is known far and wide. Two coffins came from Hancock. One coffin is that of an unknown soldier. The other was Anthony Stevens. Both are buried there.
STEVENS CEMETERY - located on Forest Road. It is close to Clothespin Park and was named this because is was near their farm. 27 stones are located here. The most recent burials are that of Aubrey and Marjorie McMahon.
NEW TOWN CEMETERY - located on Mt. Stoddard Road. It was established in 1822. Notable graves are Mary and George Lane. George was a Civil War veteran. A metal grave marker made of zinc was that of Eugene Robb - 1870 to 1910. The Whitney lot is gated and is the only one of its kind surviving in town. Jonathan D. Hale was a Civil War veteran. He was a teacher prior to serving. He is the great-great grandfather of Alan Rumrill. James D. Cutter was a glass cutter of The Stoddard Glass Factory.
JEFFS CEMETERY - located on Jeffs Road, part of Andorra Forest. The location is near Pitcher Mountain near Route 123 North, going toward Marlow. Notable grave is that of Salome - 1823. She was the first girl buried thee. A cellar hole and cattle enclosures were also found there. A member suggested that our historical society could volunteer to clean it up. Alan told her that our town doesn’t own it. Currently the Faulkner family the the Jeffs family are in negotiations.
JOCELYN LEIMSTER CORNER CEMETERY: there are 50 marked/unmarked graves. In 1916 Charles Peirce took pictures of farmers’ cattle and sheep there. The Ambassador of Spain smuggled mountain merino sheep to graze there till the 1840’s. The land cost $18.00 when purchased.
REED ROAD - there are 53 marked/unmarked graves. The last person living on the road has a gate there. You have to call ahead to get permission to visit it. The last burial there was in 1887.
HARPER HILL - near Pitcher Mountain. Notable stones - Dutton is the oldest surviving grave side. John Mellon family - a cabinet/furniture maker who had his own shop. Saray Green was his mother’s mother-in-law.
PERLEY SWETT - 1888 to 1973 - the Taylor Pond Hermit.
NYE ROAD - a family plot.
DOE ROAD - the Putnam family plot.
Alan Rumrill’s mother, Frances Rumrill, is buried in the New Cemetery.
COPELAND CEMETARY - was located on King Street. It was moved in 1896 to the New Cemetery.
The most popular stone material is slate. White marble which was very popular has been found to fall apart very quickly. The Cemetery Commission in Chesterfield could help our commission upon request. Andy Kaufman has been hired by our town and is currently working on cleaning and repairing the cemetery stones. A member of our commission, Mary Lou Stymest, answered a lot of questions and concerns at the meeting. She told us that damages were bad this year, especially at the Dow Cemetery.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm, followed by refreshments. Alan Rumrill presented his new book which just became available. It is entitled “MONADNOCK MOMENTS” and will be available at the Historical Society of Cheshire County and the local book stores.
Respectfully submitted , Nancy Taylor, Secretary