Group to hold fundraiser to restore DeForest Pioneer Cemetery by Julie Slack Story coming soon in The Milton Champion. Julie wrote a fantastic story for us. Here is the story. Tickets are selling get yours now...... Southern Ontario Paranormal Society members Linda Smigelsky and Steve Genier are organizing a fundraiser to help restore the DeForest Pioneer Cemetery. Currently the historic cemetery is in disarray, with gravestones scattered about and toppled over, such as this one. Milton Canadian Champion ByJulie Slack A historic Milton cemetery that’s been neglected for several years has garnered the attention of the Southern Ontario Paranormal Society (SOPS). SOPS will hold a fundraiser dubbed the DeForest Restoration Project on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the Halton Region Museum from noon to 4 p.m. Organizers hope to raise money at the event — that will feature guest speakers, feature film experts, a silent auction and film showings — to repair the DeForest Pioneer Cemetery. Located on the north-west corner of Walker’s Line at Derry Road, the pioneer cemetery has some 75 grave markers, most of them toppled over, some lying under foliage and brush, in a shaded, well-treed lot. The cemetery was originally a family plot. One of the earliest markers that exists is that of Abraham DeForest (1767-1842). The cemetery grew to include other families in the surrounding areas close to the original DeForest homestead. SOPS field researcher Linda Smigelsky said seeing the cemetery in its current condition saddens her. Kneeling to wipe leaves and foliage off one of the headstones, Smigelsky pondered the historic graves. Many of the markers simply say ‘mother’ while several others indicate that children are buried there. One of the largest tombstones is that of William Campbell, who died July 16, 1886 at 75, and his wife Isabella Campbell, who died November 10, 1903 at 79. Several smaller stones lie around the grave and simply state ‘child.’ The cemetery got its name from founder Abraham DeForest and his wife Elizabeth, who emigrated from New York State in the early 1800s and made their home on a 200-acre parcel of land where the cemetery is located. According to Burlington Historical Society records, Abraham’s father Isaac, one of three brothers who went to New York from France in 1600, was a Loyalist and was imprisoned with his son. While they were attempting to escape, Isaac was shot, but Abraham escaped to Niagara-on-the-Lake before settling in what was then named Nelson. Records show that Elizabeth received the Walker’s Line and Derry Road land from the Crown. Other stones in the cemetery include names like Thomson, Sweeney and Campbell. Fellow SOPS field researcher Steve Genier said based on his research, most are prominent families from the Milton area from 1849 to 1910. One of the larger headstones is that of George Shields, who died December 11, 1853. Another is for John Harris. “The cemetery holds the remains of early settlers to this part of Ontario who forged a life and built a community here,” he said. “Their place of rest should not be left in such a degraded condition.” Most recognizable to those driving past the cemetery along Derry Road is likely the rusted, cast iron fence that encloses one visible gravestone, of a Sweeney family member. The site has a Town of Milton sign erected with the DeForest name misspelled — DeForrest Pioneer Cemetery. Councillor Cindy Lunau, who represents Ward 3 where the cemetery is located, said she applauds any organization that sets out to take on such a task. The cost to repair and upgrade the cemetery isn’t in the Town’s budget, she said. “It’s a historic cemetery like so many of them and it’s now owned and controlled by the Town,” she explained, noting the Town is responsible for grass cutting, but not the restoration of the tombstones. “Work that needs to be done is outside of the normal budget.” Taking into consideration how much it cost for the restoration of a similar pioneer cemetery 10 years ago, the Ebenezer Cemetery, Lunau figures the restoration could cost $75,000, At Ebenezer, some 50 markers were restored and re-sleeved, which basically involved taking the limestone tombstone and placing stainless steel bars on the outside edges. She said there are four other virtually abandoned cemeteries in her ward alone that she can think of. A non-profit organization, SOPS has investigated ghost sightings at the DeForest Pioneer Cemetery in the past. SOPS founder, Genier said that’s when he first became interested in the restoration. Tickets for the event cost $40. Silent auction items are welcome. Smigelsky’s also hoping an individual or organization will donate food for the event. Go to sopsinvestigations/sops/ for information or visit the group’s facebook page, https://facebook/#!/DeforestResoration.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Sep 2013 23:01:56 +0000
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