ANCESTRAL CEMETERY
2015 Reunion Presentation by Dick Hutchins:
One of the true highlights of the 2015 reunion in Rhode Island was the tour of the Lillibridge historical cemetery in the town of Richmond. It contains 15 grave sites for Thomas the First and his immediate family in a rock-fenced yard about the area of a small house. As it’s located on a local farm, many of this year’s reunion attendees – perhaps 40 or so – carpooled for a short drive and enjoyed a sunny hike around rows of sweet corn to view the gravestones and restored wall.
Since the first visit at the 2000 reunion, a few stones have been restored to original appearance but there is much work to be done for the others. A recent accomplishment is the removal of a giant white oak, nearly 4 feet in diameter; it required four men, four trucks and five hours of work. The local farmer, on whose land the cemetery rests, was pleased to receive the cut pieces, one weighing 6200 pounds!
We’re thankful that local scout groups periodically clean up the cemetery grounds, and that the state of Rhode Island declares historical cemeteries protected land. We can rest assured that our maintenance efforts will last.