Appin Cemetery Commemoration July 28, 2024
As part of an annual commemoration of area cemeteries, Glencoe & District Historical Society (G&DHS) organized a presentation and community walk at the Appin Cemetery. Prayers, dedications, singing, and community conversation were key parts of the afternoon.
Members of the G&DHS and guests offered welcome, poetry reading, and historical insight to the cemetery and its connection to the community.
Jim May, Appin Cemetery board member, offered an historical account of the origins and continued support for the cemetery “on the sandy knoll above the town of Appin”. His address mirrored a, 10 year ago, presentation at the hundredth anniversary celebration of the Appin Cemetery. Here it is at this link.
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The cemetery land was procured in 1914 and a company was formed, Appin Cemetery Co. Ltd., by a group of community members. Eleven men agreed to pay $15 per share to form the company to purchase the land. The property, 4 acres plus roadway, was purchased for $400.00.
The price of a plot, which included 8 burial sites, was $15.00. Several families representing early shareholders, (Johnson, McFee, May), purchased large family plots with 32 graves each. This provided early operating funds for the new company.
There was a total of 6 burials in the first year.
The stone gates were built at the entrance in 1957-58. The iron arch was added in 1974 and has since been refurbished.
Women have played a key role in the development and maintenance of the cemetery. Appin Women’s Institute helped create the roadway and tree planting efforts. They also offered the first donation for the stone gate construction and maintained persistent pressure for its completion through organizations such as the Appin Dramatic Club, headed by Ivy Galbraith.
Marj Zavitz was the first female Secretary-Treasurer of the cemetery board and many other women followed to support and lead the board.
David May, current President of the cemetery board spoke and offered welcome and highlighted the current situation with the Appin Cemetery. He indicated that land had been purchased to expand the cemetery from its current location, along the laneway to Thames Road at the gates.
Having a place of remembrance and honour was the focus for those original settlers. They envisioned and built a resting place for community members in and around the town of Appin.
The Appin Cemetery has been part of the community for over 100 years and is a reflection of the people who were and are in our midst.
Like the toils on early farms and settlements that made up Ekfrid and Appin, much hard work and dedication was necessary to have a lasting and sustainable place for family members to find their final rest.
The Glencoe and District Historical Society are thankful to The Appin Cemetery board for the cooperation and support for this commemoration event. Community spirit creates strength for all.
