Remembering MaryAnn Barbour's Death

    There is only one recorded death and burial at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery in the month of October.  Mary Ann Barbour died on October 7th, 1855, at the age of 27 years, 11 months, one month before her 28th birthday in November.

    Mary Ann Barbour was the oldest daughter, one of twelve children born to JohnBarbour, (1801 - 1869) and Jane Moses Morse Barbour, (1806 - 1881).

Her paternal grandparents were:  John M. Barbour, (1773 - 1850)  and Anna Huston Wilson Barbour, (1774 - 1881).  Her maternal grandparents were:  Capt. Ephraim Morse, (1764 - 1843) and Rachel Noyes, (1771 - 1849.)

    Unfortunately, I could not find an obituary for Mary Ann, nor does  the early death record indicate the cause of her death.  The actual location of her grave is unknown.  We do know that her father John Barbour was probably buried near his young daughter.

    The Barbour family has a long history in the city of Portland dating back to 1718.  The first were James and John Barbour  listed among the 15 soldiers who were charged with re-settling the town after the French and Indian Wars.

    We commit to keeping the memory of these early inhabitants alive despite of how little we are able to glean from sparse records.

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    Sunday, October 29, 2023 was the date chosen for our Annual Fall Cleanup and Planting Party at the Grand Trunk Cemetery.  It was re-scheduled because of bad weather from the previous week, which probably limited the number of people who could participate.

    We were hoping for a bright, sunny day.  This was not the case!  It was raining at noon, drizzling still at 1 PM when the first participants walked across the wet soccerfield.

    None-the-less, eight stalwart ladies arrived ready for the task at hand. A lot of bags were filled with leaves, and well over two hundred bulbs were planted at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery.

  One of the intentions of this blog is to publish a record of the continued attention paid to, and care of, the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery and those who provide it. Here are pictures from the event.

  Joel and I, and the city of Portland are grateful to Sarah Sweeney, Leader of Girl Scouts of Maine Troop 1061 and Abby S., Abby A., Halina O, Emma S.., Ava C., and Page S. Also, thank you to Monique Prevost, Leader Troop 1423. Your service today honored those people who lived long ago and are interred at this historic burial site.