Latest News 2021 – Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization

The Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization wishes all a very:

Merry Christmas A.D. 2021
And
Happy New Year A.D. 2022

Cumberland Times-News December 24, 2021

During this year of 2021 the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization has lost a total of five members due to death. Pictured below are the three latest members that have passed away. May the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on their Souls and All Souls. Amen.

Janice Andrews July 14, 1943 Oct. 23, 2021

Nancy Lantz July 4, 1939 Sept. 20, 2021

Roberta Conn April 8, 1932 Dec. 4, 2021

Recently the CHCO restored the monument for Confederate soldier Beverly Holtzman in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. The cemetery is located off of Mt. Pleasant Road, east of Cumberland. Holtzman died 100 years ago this month.

During December CHCO members decorated hundreds of the CHCO designated & protected gravesites with Christmas wreaths and poinsettias. Pictured below are just a few of these sites.

CHCO restored the monument of Daniel Schmenner in 2008. The monument is located in St. Lukes Cemetery, Cumberland, MD. Daniel Schmenner died in 1855.

CHCO Union Soldiers monument erected in 1991 for six black Civil War Union Soldiers. Sumner Cemetery is located in Cumberland, MD.

In December 2021 the CHCO held their annual meeting and Christmas Social. The event was held at the CHCO Headquarters at 400 S. Allegany Street, Cumberland, MD.

President Ed Taylor, Jr. calls the meeting to order.

Pictured are members Christina Taylor, Carol Kirchner, Judy Haines, and Jim Ali.

Pictured are members Ed Taylor, Sr., Carol Johnson, Dennis Bittinger, Brett Dimaio, Rev. Michael Mudge, David Burcaw, and Llyod Hyson.

Pictured are members Malinda Newhouse, Jim Ali, Brett Dimaio, Rev. Michael Mudge, Ed Taylor, Jr., Judy Haines, David Burcaw, and Carol Johnson.

On All Souls Day – November 2, 2021 the CHCO unveiled a monument for Lt. Robert Mathias, the first American soldier killed on D-day, in WWII, June 6, 1944. The grave is located in SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery off of Fayette Street, Cumberland.

Before the ceremony the Cumberland American Legion Honor Guard sets up for the event.

CHCO President Ed Taylor, Jr. – Master of Ceremonies.

CHCO Chaplain Michael Mudge gives an Invocation Prayer.

Cumberland American Legion member Jim King says the Pledge of Allegiance.

Mikayla Dodge sings the National Anthem.

Members and guests in attendance.

Speaker Jake Shade, Allegany Co. Commissioner.

Speaker Dave Caporale, Allegany Co. Commissioner.

Speaker Robert Farrell, Allegany Co. Board of Education V.P

Speaker Michael McKay, MD Delegate.

Speaker Ray Morriss, Cumberland Mayor.

Speaker Eugene Frazier, Cumberland City Councilman.

Mathias family member Karen Bass.

Mathias family member Paul Overbeck.

Mathias family member Marilyn Mathias.

Mathias family members Phyllis Blair and Marilyn Mathias unveil the monument.

Cumberland American Legion member fires a three gun salute.

Cumberland American Legion member plays Taps.

Fr. James Watson blesses the grave.

CHCO member Malinda Newhouse places a floral cross on the gravesite.

Mathias family members.

Front of the monument.

Back of the monument.

The Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization mourns the death of one of our most beloved board members, Mary Ann Eckard who died Sept. 20, 2021. She served as our Rosarian for twenty five years and our 2021 Secretary. Mary Ann had a great love of God, country, family and the CHCO. Mary Ann was buried under our eleventh CHCO designated and protected grave monument in St. Marys Roman Catholic Cemetery south of Cumberland.

Pictured is Mary Ann along with nationally known Confederate Historian H. K. Edgerton, during a ceremony that the CHCO were invited guest of our friends and allies the Sons of Confederate Veterans McNeills Rangers. The event was held to erect a super large Confederate flag over Moorefield, W.Va. Sat. May 6, 2017.

CHCO designated & protected monument for board member Mary Ann Eckard at St. Marys Cemetery , Uhl Hwy, south of Cumberland.

On September 11 & 12, 2021 Cumberland held its annual History Festival. This event in 1983 is how the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization began. The CHCO held guided walking Tours of Rose Hill and SS. Peter & Paul Cemeteries on Fayette Street. During the 1980’s when the Festival was under the direction of County Tourism, the event was the largest in the county.

Since the late 1990’s this Festival has been on the decline. The Festival went from the largest event that CHCO was involved with to now the smallest.

This year the private group that has taken over the Festival has gone out of their way not to promote the CHCO guided Tours. Pure Politics!!! The Leftists in our community have hijacked the event. The Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization will no longer stand for this. We are calling for the Allegany County Tourism to retake Heritage Days and return it to its former Grandeur!
Pictured below are photos from the guided tours that CHCO conducted this past weekend of the CHCO Designated & Protected Gravesites located in Rose Hill and SS. Peter & Paul Cemeteries.

Cumberland Times-News September 8, 2021

Cumberland Times-News August 25, 2021

The Critty Powell Monument Unveiling at Sumner Cemetery 08/14/21

CRITTY DIAS POWELL – MONUMENT TO A FREED SLAVE – On Saturday, August 14, 2021 descendants, family and community members gathered at Sumner Cemetery in Cumberland, Maryland to unveil and dedicate a monument in tribute to freed slave Critty Dias Powell (1848-1938). Powell had been born into slavery in Romney, Virginia (now West Virginia), and through the eras of Reconstruction and Jim Crow would continue to witness discrimination throughout much of her life.
A presentation on the life of Critty Powell, including some of the events she endured before escaping to freedom, was given by her Great-Great-Grandson, Ernest Ashby. Other family members and others had traveled to Cumberland for the unveiling from Ohio, Vermont, West Virginia and Pennsylvania as well as from other parts of Maryland.
The event was held by the Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization. The two-sided monument provides some background on Critty Dias Powell while the other side depicts family members who lie adjacent.
Elected officials who were in attendance were Cumberland Mayor Ray Morriss, Maryland House of Delegates member Mike McKay, and Cumberland City Councilman Eugene Frazier who read a poem during the ceremony.

Cumberland Times-News August 11, 2021

On Sunday August 1, 2021 CHCO set up a booth to raise funds for police officer August Baker's Monument at the "Allegany County Back The Blue Rally". The rally was held at the Cumberland City Hall. Pictured are Dennis Bittinger and Ed Taylor, Jr.

August Baker Brochure

About officer August Baker

Officer August Baker is the only officer in the Cumberland Police Department’s 169-yearhistory to be killed in the line of duty.
Officer Baker was making an arrest when he was shot in the chest, and he died two days later, on October 5th, 1907.

The Baker Family Monument will be erected on the family lot of 8 unmarked graves in Greenmount Cemetery. The goal is to raise $8,000 for a granite marker 8’8″tall to be dedicated in May 2022. August 30th is our target date for completing fundraising!

Donation to the August Baker monument fund.

3 Ways to Donate:

Go to the “Officer August Baker Monument” Facebook page & use
PayPal or Make a check payable to “Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization”(C.H.C.O.) and mail with the form below to Christina Taylor, 700 Braddock Avenue, LaVale, MD 21502

Give cash and the form below to either Chief Chuck Ternent or Sheriff Craig Robertson.

Cumberland Times-News -- July 9, 2021

Sunday July 4, 2021 Annual Ceremony to Honor America's Revolutionary War Heroes.

CHCO thanks Al Feldstein for the photos.

Rev. Michael Mudge gives the opening prayer at the CHCO Headquarters.

Cumberland Times-News -- June 17, 2021

Sunday May 30, 2021 Memorial Day Ceremony at Sumner Cemetery, Cumberland, MD

Maryland Delegate Michael McKay and CHCO President Ed Taylor, Jr. begin the ceremony.

CHCO President Ed Taylor, Jr. welcomes all the folks to the ceremony.

Cumberland City Councilman Eugene Frazier addresses the group.

Cemetery Committee member Christine Peck addresses the group.

Leo “Buddy” Rowan who is a CHCO member and also a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans fires a salute in honor of the Union Veterans.

Jimmy Beckwith plays taps during the event.

Decorating CHCO Designated & Protected Gravesites for Memorial Day

Christina Taylor places flowers and a flag at Confederate soldier Joseph Order’s grave. The grave site is in the Frostburg Memorial Cemetery, Frostburg, MD.

Christina Taylor and Ed Taylor, Jr. decorate the grave of Barbara Sieg. Barbara was the Founder of the Coalition to Protect MD Burial Sites. The gravesite is located in St. John’s Cemetery, Ellicott City, MD. The monument is a CHCO Designated & Protected monument.

Ed Taylor, Jr. and Jim Ali at the Carpenter Family Tomb in Rosehill Cemetery, Cumberland, MD. The Tomb was restored by the CHCO in 2019.

David Burcaw, Melinda Newhouse, and Brian Padget at the gravesite of Thomas Beall in Rosehill Cemetery, Cumberland, MD. Thomas Beall was the founder of Cumberland.

David Burcaw and Melinda Newhouse at the grave of Confederate soldier Thomas Healy. The gravesite is in the SS. Peter & Paul Cemetery, Cumberland, MD.

In Memoriam of Harold Nichol who passed away on May 15, 2021.
Harold was a great American Patriot and Christian. May God bless his Soul and All Souls. Amen

DATE OF BIRTH:
January 13,1937

DATE OF DEATH
May 15, 2021

SERVICE
Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 11 a.m. at the Wilhelm-Eakin Funeral Home, PA.
Lonaconing, Maryland

OFFICANT
Rev, Thomas Morgan

INTERMENT
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Moscow Mille, Maryland

The CHCO Designated & Protected monument of Harold Nichol. The monument is located in Laurel Hill Cemetery near Barton, MD.

Cumberland Times-News May 28, 2021

Cumberland Times-News May 27, 2021

May 2021

CHCO would like to thank our great board member and Project Director, James Ali for his excellent service. For the past two years Jim has volunteered to maintain our Historic Pollock Cemetery. The Pollock Cemetery is a major historic attraction of Allegany County. The Cemetery is located near the C&O Canal off of River Road in Mexico Farms. Recently Jim constructed a new beautiful sign at his own expense to welcome visitors to the cemetery. Jim is a patriotic American and a great member of the CHCO.