Annual Fall Cleanup/Planting Party 2026

   Sunday, October 25th was the date chosen by the Machigonne volunteer leadership team to hold the bi-annual service project at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery this year.

    It was a perfect Fall day for the small but mighty group who gathered at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery to rake leaves, fill bags and plant bulbs at the small, historic resting place of some of Portland's earliest residents. It was a perfect day for this work.

    I intentionally include photos as a record of the effort still being expended to care for a beautify the small, sacred burial site. I hope that readers will be inspired to offer their own service to the old cemeteries in their geographic areas. I also invite you to stop by this cemetery for a visit.

Only about 10% of the leaves have fallen from the oak trees.

Taking a needed moment!

Picking up chards of glass!

Planting daffodil bulbs!

Gathering the equipment.

Zoe's garden stone in her memory!

The girls are planting hyacinths in Zoe's garden!

The small but mighty group! 

Three others were also present but not in the photo!

Many thanks to our Portland Girl Scouts, their parents and our neighbors and family who pitched in today!

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    Shortly before leaving for the Cemetery,  I received a message from Norma Sawyer that her husband Benjamin had died on October 2nd.  Benjamin Sawyer was one of the descendants of the original Sawyers who settled in Falmouth, now Portland in the 1700 hundreds.

    From the beginning of this project to recover the Grand Trunk Cemetery, the Sawyer descendants have been instrumental in providing information, inspiration and support.

Here are Steve and Nancy Sawyer.  Steve is the grandson of
Theodore Sawyer whose writing on the Sawyers who settled here in Portland: "From Back Cove to Quaker Lane" served to inspire the research for this blog.

Family photo of Theodore Sawyer, Author of
"From Back Coveto Quaker Lane."

    Ben Sawyer, his wife Norma, and his brother Robert, now deceased, came to ceremonies, and pitched in at our Spring and Fall Cleanup and Planting Parties. When the orginal plaque for Zoe's garden was damaged by vandals, Ben donated funds for its replacement.

Norma and Ben Sawyer at a Spring Planting Party

 

    In 2014, a ceremony was held at the Grand Trunk Cemetery to install a stone in memory of the early residents of the East Deering Village and the Cemetery was rededicated.  Members of the Sawyer family particpated in the unveiling and rededication; some from Florida and New York.  Steve and Nancy were unable to attend.  Here is a photo of

five of the Sawyer descendants.

Robert Sawyer, Jane (Sawyer) Jordan, Susan (Sawyer) Szewczyk, Theresa (Sawyer)Cobb

RobertSawyer, 1926 - 2021, and Benjamin Sawyer, 1934 -2026
Taken at the Rededication in 2014

    The last formal ceremony to be held at the Grand Trunk Cemetery was the Unveiling of the Interpretive Sign held on the anniversary of Anthony Sawyer's death on June 21st, 2019. I invited Steve Sawyer to share some of the Sawyer history.  

    The Sawyers are the largest family group to be buried at the Grand Trunk Cemetery with at least thirteen members.  In all probability, there are children whose records have been lost, but were buried with their parents.

    

Steve Sawyer 2019

    One of the most gratifying outcomes of this project has been the ability to sometimes introduce descendants to one another.  This happened here when Steve , Ben and Norma met.

Ben is the gentleman in the blue cap sitting with his wife Norma.
Later that day, Steve and Ben met for the first time.

    I will be forever grateful to the Sawyers for their continued support for the recovery of this small, but historically significant burial site of some of Portland's early citizens.  We will honor the memory of those who have passed on for what they contributed by their knowledge, donations, encouragement and their friendship.