Saturday, May 9th was a less than stellar day, weather-wise for the annual Spring Cleanup at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery sponsored by the Machigonne Service Unit of Portland Girl Scouts of Maine and Friends of the Grand Trunk Cemetery. However, it was outstanding because of the participation of more than thirty volunteers from Girl Scouts of Maine Troops 1547, 1061, 1816, 5033, 1429, their families, and neighbors and friends.
Despite the showers that turned into soaking rain, piles of leaves were raked up and bagged, and a service was generously provided to beautify and care for this special and sacred burial place of folks who died long ago.
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In preparation for Memorial Day, it has become customary to honor the Veterans (those known to us; there may be others unknown among the 197 souls interred here) of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War, by reading their names aloud and placing flags and wreaths near their graves.
This year, in commeration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of our Nation, I thought it appropriate to have special flags representative of those wars.
The names of each Veteran was read by children and adults and the flags an wreaths laid. Here are two short videos of a poem and the reading of a few of the names.
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We ended our little ceremony with the children scattering wild flower seeds around the cemetery. Here is a photo of all the participants.
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The volunteer Leadership of the Machigonne Service Unit has continued to honor their adoption of the Grand Trunk Cemetery in 2015, and the legacy of Samantha Allshouse and Kayla Theriault who undertook this recovery project in 2010. Since that time, new crops of Girl Scouts have given their time and effort to care for and remember. We are so grateful to all!
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Since the pages of this blog are kind of a historical record, I will share something personal that also happened on this day. I was honored to be presented with the Juliette Gordon Low Spirit Award for my service to Girl Scouts over 50 plus years. It was a total and over-whelming surprise. I am very grateful to all who nominated me and contributed to the lovely celebration under the tents that kept us out of the pouring rain!
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Finally, I have heard it said, 'We die twice; first our physical death. The second time when no one remembers our name." So for as long as we are able to pass on this tradition of reading the names of those interred here, we know that they will be remembered:
Joseph Lunt, Pvt. Revolution, amuel Blake, Pvt. War of 1812, Joseph Merrill, Pvt. Revolution and War of 1812, William Blake, Pvt. War of 1812, Andrew Grave, Pvt. War of 1812, John Sawyer, Jr. Pvt. Revolution and War of 1812, Williiam Sawyer, Pvt. War of 1812, Simon Davis, Pvt. Revolution,Crispus Graves, Leut. Revolution, James Moseley, Pvt. Civil War, Francis Smith, Pvt. War of 1812, and Joseph Merrill Sawyer, Pvt. War of 1812.
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