Shawnee Cemetery, Plymouth, Pennsylvania

Shawnee Cemetery, Plymouth, Pennsylvania Historic Shawnee Cemetery Plymouth, Pennsylvania new article content ...Chartered in 1870, the historic Shawnee Cemetery is the largest multi-denominational cemetery in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. The cemetery covers 13 ½ acres on the hillside above Plymouth. The cemetery is located alongside Mountain Road, at the Plymouth and Plymouth Twp border. The entrance road is approximately 300 yards above Second Street on Mountain Road. Table of Contents The Shawnee Cemetery is the final resting place for over 15, 000 burials, including veterans from the Revolutionary War through the Vietnam War. The oldest surviving burial records issued by the original Shawnee Cemetery Association, date to September 5, 1873. At that time, the first burial permit, was issued for William, the child of Joseph Shock. The burial permit, numbered one, was issued on October 27, 1873. No records exist for the period between the charter date of October 1870 and September 1873. Although, some headstones and subsequent records seem to reflect burials in that three year span. Also, it should be noted that burials at the cemetery pre-date 1870, due to re-internment of earlier burials from other cemeteries. Beginning in 1994, the once neglected Shawnee Cemetery, has been undergoing a transformation. Plymouth’s General Federation of Women’s Club was the first group to adopt clean up work at the cemetery. Their Community Improvement Program, headed by club President Janice Williams, was the driving force behind the reclamation work. Section by section, the once beautiful cemetery began to reappear from the overgrowth. A new shed was constructed to house the equipment needed to combat the never ending task of cemetery maintenance. Iron fences were painted, headstones repaired, trees removed, road repairs started and new street signs were installed. It was clear that the historic Shawnee Cemetery would live again. In 2008, the torch was passed to the newly formed Shawnee Cemetery Preservation Association, led by SCPA President Amy Waltz. Building on the progress made by the GFWC the SCPA continued the tasks of maintenance and historic restoration. Current SCPA President Tom Jesso Sr. continues to led the volunteer efforts at the Shawnee Cemetery. Together with Maintenance Supervisor Henry Sobolewski and a small group of dedicated volunteers, cemetery restoration work continues to move forward. Volunteer restoration work is made possible through the generous donations from community and veteran’s organizations, descendants of cemetery lot owners and concerned citizens. In addition to routine maintenance, the cemetery has seen many improvements. Both physical and historical. The installation of benches throughout the cemetery, roadway repairs, brush and stump removal, selective tree removal, landscaping, painting, headstone and grave repairs, a new entrance road drain pipe and the soon to be installed new 35 foot flag pole, at the GAR lot, are just a few of the accomplishments. The reclaiming of several hundred graves from the overgrowth in the outer most sections, is continuing to provide historical data, as well as, defining the borders of the cemetery. Shawnee Cemetery is once again a fitting resting place and a gathering spot for patriotic and historical events. Annual Memorial Day services conducted by the Plymouth American Legion Post 463 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1425 honor the more than 400 veterans who rest in the cemetery. On September 19, 2010 the Shawnee Preservation Association successfully revived the Victorian tradition of holding a family picnic at the cemetery. Over 200 visitors attending the Family Day Picnic. A hymn sing, historical displays, memorial helium balloon launch, great home made food and fellowship made the event an overwhelming success. This year 2011, will mark the 2nd annual Family Day Picnic on September 18, 2011 from 1 to 4pm. To join in and be apart of history, please consider volunteering a bit of your time and talents at Plymouth’s Historic Shawnee Cemetery. Visit the cemetery any day, dawn to dusk and pick up one of our informative flyers from the bulletin board located near the cemetery entrance or see the contact info below. SCPA P.O.Box 224 Plymouth, Pa 18651