Oakland Cemetery Memorial

“Beyond the gates of the cemetery lives an historical account of our past, a rich heritage populated by friends and relatives.  Loved ones who can no longer be with us, but whose memories live on.”  – Josh Kekosz.  

Each year the historical society honours those who came before us.  On July 24, 2022, the   Cemetery Memorial Service was held at Oakland Cemetery, which was opened May 1894 by a group of ten men who formed a Board of Directors.  

Five acres was purchased from a local farmer in Mosa Township and surveyed into plots of 16 feet X 16 feet.  These plots were purchased by families.  One plot had room for 8 burials.  The first burial was Thomas Hopkins in May 1894.     

The community was previously served by small family plots and St. Andrew’s (Graham) Cemetery at 112 Main Street Glencoe (Concession 1, Lot 1). St. Andrew’s eventually contained approximately 500 burials between 1841 – 1931.  It still exists and is classified as ‘abandonned’.  

After the new Oakland Cemetery opened and families started purchasing plots, new stones were installed and the names of beloved previously deceased family members were commemorated.  This could explain why there are 175 inscriptions whose dates of death  are prior to May 1894.

Records are poor but we surmise that sometimes stones were moved to the new Oakland.  Sometimes the stones might have been buried or lost from their original  family plot locations.  And what of the bodies?  We guess that bodies probably remain in their original resting places.  It seems doubtful if they would have  been disinterred and moved 

Link to interactive G&DHS Cemetery Map.