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1/ Local landmark â€" The pretty little chapel in st. )ahn's Cemetery is an importamparl ofthe cemctery’s history, says historian Mike Wladyka. Photo by Ted Amsden Cemeteries a treasure trove of Port Hope history K. A I ‘ 4 l a ‘7 s *Nete to be buried later at By Peggy Foster One ofl’ort Hope's most historically signifi- cant yet well-kept-secret tourist attractions stretches across 11 hectares along Toronto Road. The property takes in St. John’s and Union cemeteries. St. Mary's Cemetery is located on additional land at the north end oflhe expanse “There are at least a dozen people every week visiting Port Hope to search for graves ol‘rela tive " says Port Hope hisr torian Mike Wladyka, a member ofihe town cemetery board, which manages Union and St. John’s cemeteries. Mr Wladyka is often involved in those searches, and is currently in the process ofbringing the cemeteries’ records up to date to make the pro- cess easier He is recording the names of people buned in the cemeteries, their date ofburial and the location of headstones to make it easier to locam them This is histo V .' Mr leidyka says as he. paints out the grave or the first mayor of PCIL‘IbDl’UUEl’l. “The monuments give us so much information about the people who are buried here “ On the south end or the property is St John‘s Cemetery. where a small Chapel was bLiilt by a ‘ family. the former owners ‘ nal vault The brick bllild- grieving husband in mom» ‘ ory ofhis trite "Building erected by James Guest Williams ll". memory ofliis wife Patience who died July 23, 1880,‘ reads a platitu- hung inside the chapel, J Wesleyville, Knoxville‘ Welcome and St. Mary's cemeteries as well as at Union and St. John's cemeteries. But in lhe last few years winter burials have become more common. That and the fact that cre- mation is also becoming more popular have left the chapel vault largely unused. But as a historic struc- ture the chapel remains an important part of the cemeteiy, Mt. W'ladyka says The town took over operation oland responsiA bility For Union Cemetery in 1956 Until then it had been privately owned and managed by the George ofwliat is now the Ross Funeral Chapel on Walton Street In 1955 J.T. George sold the remeiery to the i town for a dollar Along with it came two houses . the chapel and a smaller brick structure built in i lBBl which was the nt‘igi- l ing has mommy been i turned into an other whirh Mr \\'lari_\' ,1 uses V / .\lr Williams v xnown when he works on the cemetery’s records and history St John's Cemetery was taken over by the town in 1968, Wayne and Violet McMurray have been the full»time caretakers of Union and St. John‘s cemeteries for several years and live in the main house on the property Retired cemetery Carer takers Wyatt and Gertrude Waddell live in a house at the south end of the prop- erty, at 110 Toronto Rd When they retired 18 years ago. atter 3‘. years at service, they were givcn the house to live in rent-free for the rest of their lives. The chairmon of the cemetery board, Mike Brennan, says that when the town tool: the come- teries over they were "almost a Flintstonc oper- ation," meaning there were low rucortk and no equipment available to ' care tor the property “The town work department has hr n grr t ” he says tit tnc sup- port \i'uh mainteiiaiiu; ll’mt the Ct mCldHcs CHIUY now locally as Yanl-ui \\'lllldl’ll> because llu \Mfi‘ burn iii the L'rzitcd Stones 7 hat! the Lllapcl limit for Comr mittal sen tub il‘ai too}. plat'c dutii the Winter \\ lien ilze bodies could lli’ll be buziud He (lid it beiouse lie ‘uiirrals wer miserable enough \rithiut people startling mu in the told he rig as well, .\lr Mach says 1910.]: l: ll‘lC last four wars lid. tl‘ \ suiinrcr {lie 8 liasbie'i rt‘pninu‘d ml Mr Williams died in c ago of 9.’ mall imm- hunting on rel‘uibis‘ie ism-r FDTi retr- wot m at tho mm that Miller the i hops} The Miami mi lowered {hm ; een dnni‘ to Hi ‘\'rill> Hero of history â€" Milo: Brennan (left) and Mike Wla- dyka ofthe cemclery hoard stand beside the graves of [times Guest “Yankee” Williams and his wife Patience. Mr. Williams built the chapel in the cemetery in mum~ my nfhis wife phum by mt Amsdcn 011! vault 7 This is Ilit‘ rmim under the [impel when: bodies usrd In [it slai‘ml (hiring the Winter. Photo by rm Amalia" whch ll pulpit 510ml (illll it i ministrr ' '(liiltl say thl' iinal pr. til i [illlnllliill i The \ of in mould than he ‘ ‘out [it .A’fi<