Fifteen Years and Counting!

  In the fall of 2010, A Girl Scout Junior Troop  met to conduct the first  Cleanup project at the Presumpscot/ East Deering Cemetery behind Presumpscot School.  These girls were lead by Senior Girl Scouts, Kayla Theriault and Samantha Allshouse who endeavored, through this Girl Scout Gold Award project, to recover the ancient and neglected cemetery,  and to restore elements of dignity to this sacred burial ground dating back to the 1740's and is a final resting place of nearly 200 souls.

    

    Over the course of now, 15 years, since the recovery project was initiated by Kayla Theriault and Samantha Allshouse,  Portland Girl Scouts of the Machigonne Service Unit have continued the legacy by adopting the Presumpscot/ Grand Trunk Cemetery as an annual service project. 

    They do this by holding Cleanup/Planting Parties in the Fall and Spring.  The Girl Scouts, their friends and families, together with the informal, 'Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery' have gathered, to rake leaves, and plant daffodil bulbs, or flowers in the spring.  

    The cemetery has also been, and continues to be,  a place of gathering for other activities to celebrate Girl Scout events like their Founder, Juliette Gordon Low's Halloween birthday.

    This past Sunday, twenty-two Portland Girl Scouts, their families, neighbors, and friends gathered to honor those long ago citizens of what was then little more than a village of Back Cove and East Deering, by engaging in an activity to keep the small burial site looking good.

    As a matter of record, I choose to report on these activities  and those who participate,  through this blog, as a means of encouraging readers to want to know about the history of the cemetery and to encourage others to continue to regard this sacred place with interest and care.

    Although I have posted this "Thank You! in Facebook, I will include it again:

    Many thanks to the Girl Scouts, their families and friends who came to the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery this afternoon to honor those interred here with their presence, their work to rake and pick up lots of leaves, and by filling 20 large garden bags.

    Some bulbs were planted and will add beauty to the burial ground in the Spring. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge Joel's work to leaf blow made the raking so much easier. Since all five of the gardens were turned over, there is still a lot of planting to be done!

    In total, twenty-two folks particpated today, marking the 15th year of the recovery project initiated by Samantha Allshouse and Kayla Theriault.

    Today, Kayla herself a Girl Scout Leader, continues to participate, along with her children.

Many Thanks to All!

    Here are pictures for your enjoyment!

    We look forward to the Spring when the daffodils are in bloom and to our next opportunity to come together again!

A Notification of An Upcoming Event

     I realize that it has been a while since I have been in touch, but I am still here,  and I just want you to know that our wonderful Portland Girl Scouts plan to hold the annual Fall Cleanup/Planting Party at our Grand Trunk Cemetery. You, of course, are invited to participate if you are able. 

     It hardly seems possible that this is the 15th year since the project to recover the ancient burial site was initiated by two Girl Scouts, Samantha Allshouse and Kayla Theriault, in November 2010.

    It is gratifying to know that Machigonne Service Unit, the volunteer leadership for Portland Girl Scouts of Maine who adopted this project in 2015, continues to support and sponsor this event and encourages families to participate.

    Here's a notification from their recent Leader meeting:

Service Team News - Cheryl

·         Family & Friends Service Project: Sunday October 26^th from 1 – 3pm Grand Trunk Cemetery (behind Presumpscot School) bulb planting & clean-up – Machigonne adopted Service Project! All invited—please share widely! (Rain date: Sun Nov 2, same time & place.) * Please bring gardening gloves, bulbs/planting tool if you have, rakes will be provided but feel free to bring one, esp child size ones. Snack will be provided but feel free to bring something to share.

    I personally wish all of you a wonderful Fall season and hope to see at least some of you on October 26th.  In case we have bad weather, we will hold the event on the following Sunday, November 2nd at the same time and location.

Best wishes and good health,

Marianne

Memorial Day 2025 at the GTC

    Monday, May 26th, is Memorial Day.  It has become our tradition since the recovery of the ancient Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery, to place wreaths and flags to honor the dead; the Veterans and the early residents of this East Deering area of Portland.  

    Although these are but a few of the nearly two hundred souls interred here from c. 1740 to 1894, it is important to preserve their memory in some small way.  Here are some photos for readers to enjoy:

    Wishing each of you a Happy Memorial Day 2025.