As this article is being written, work is underway to clean up the fallen debris of the autumn and winter seasons from our cemeteries. The Andover Cemetery Trustees have walked through all the cemeteries and the graveyards that the Town is in charge of maintaining and have created a list of work to be done.
With two active cemeteries and 15 older graveyards, that clean-up encompasses many hours of manual labor. All of us just have to look around our own yards in the spring, at the piles of fallen leaves, tree branches, and acorns, to know that when the snow goes, a lot of work appears. Proctor Cemetery, Old Center Cemetery, and Lakeview Cemetery have been raked and are starting to look very nice.
Adding to the freshly clean look of our cemeteries are new flags being placed on every documented veteran’s grave. Volunteers from American Legion Post #101 – Lloyd Perreault, Bill Keyser, Ron Evans, and Levi Southworth – call out each veteran’s name, a remembrance, and a silent thank you for their service. There are almost 300 veterans buried in 14 of Andover’s cemeteries and graveyards. It takes organization and sometimes a keen eye to find a particular burial site, but by Memorial Day all the flags will be replaced.
We have veterans from 12 different wars as well as veterans who served their country during peacetime. As a few examples (but by no means all of them):
- Joseph Brown who served during the French and Indian Wars is buried in Marston Knoll Cemetery
- Robert M Rowe served in the Civil War and is buried in Durgin Cemetery
- Samuel Robbins served in the Revolutionary War and is buried in Philbrick Cemetery
- James Halliman served in World War I and is buried at Lakeview Cemetery
- Richard Shaw served during Korea and is buried at Lakeview Cemetery
- Lawrence Ellis served during the Revolutionary War and is buried at East Andover Church Graveyard
- Warren JG Bartlett served during the Mexican War and is buried at Proctor Cemetery
- Raymond E Crosby served during World War II and is buried at Proctor Cemetery
- Lt. Daniel Huntoon served during the War of 1812 and is buried in Old Center Cemetery
- Johnathan Weare served during the Revolutionary War and is buried in Taunton Hill Cemetery
- Charles Minard served during the Boxer Rebellion and is buried in Lakeview Cemetery
- Louise Calangelo served during Vietnam War and is buried at Proctor Cemetery
- Walter Sleeper served during the Spanish American War and is buried at Lakeview Cemetery
- Bryan Delaney served in the Gulf War and is buried at Proctor Cemetery
- Benjamin Bachelder served in the Revolutionary War and is buried in the Bachelder Cemetery
- Gary Peters served in the Navy and is buried at Proctor Cemetery
When you have time, take a walk through one of our many cemeteries, old and new, and look at the names of the men and women who served our country. We honor them as we remember their names and acknowledge their service. Thank you to all who have served our country over the years.
If it comes to anyone’s attention that a veteran has been overlooked, please contact one of the Cemetery Trustees so that we may correct the oversight and update our list. Bill Keyser, Beth Frost, and Jim Reed are trustees; Cheryl Swenson is an alternate. Thank you.