The Catskill Chronicle

JUST SLIGHTLY OVER THE BORDER OF SULLIVAN COUNTY (October 1, 2012) – The first-ever “Stone Straightening Day” has been scheduled for Saturday, October 13, at the historic Furman Cemetery on Yeagerville Road, just off Route 55-A.

The Furman Cemetery is located in western Ulster County, near the border of Sullivan County,

The cemetery’s headstones tell stories of many local families, and include names like Terwilliger, Furman, Eck, Dymond and Countryman. Some graves date back to the early 1800s and some, their engraved dates eroded away, may be even older.

The remains of numerous Civil War dead are among them, along with those who fought in both World Wars, as well as other overseas conflicts.

The cemetery also accepted for relocation several remains and markers from valley areas flooded by the Rondout Reservoir over sixty years ago, including the communities of Lackawack, Montela and Eureka.

Now, after decades of rain and snow, numerous Furman Cemetery headstones are tilting badly, due in part to the absence of foundations beneath the older and heavier stones. At a recent public meeting of local residents who manage and maintain the cemetery, the decision was unanimously made to set aside a special day to straighten them.

Adding a bit of fun to what might otherwise be a somber task, the volunteers will grill hot dogs and burgers, add all the fixings, and take a picnic break sometime around noon. Area residents who might have never before visited the site, or even known of its existence, are welcome to come for the work … the free lunch … or both.

Starting at 10:00 a.m. volunteers will use ropes, pry-bars, digging tools, and muscle power to deal with the tilting markers and make them secure for years to come, all the while showing respect for all the loved ones buried beneath.

Those who can’t join the day’s event on October 13 (rain date Oct. 20th) might consider a donation to help the cemetery keep going. Furman Cemetery, Inc. is a community-based non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the upkeep of the historic and hallowed site.

Contributions can be mailed to Furman Cemetery, Inc., c/o Cindy Mickelson, PO Box 251, Grahamsville, NY 12740.

Additional information, including a list of more than 400 people interred at the cemetery, can be found at the group’s newly-established web site, www.FurmanCemetery.org.