Cemetery walk in Lyons

The Wayne County Historical Society is planning a cemetery walk at the Lyons Rural Cemetery, Spencer Street, on Friday, September 14, at 7 p.m.

Guided tours will start every 15 minutes, with the last performance beginning at 7:45. A special performance will also be held at 6 p.m. at the Museum on 21 Butternut Street for those who do not want to go into the cemetery. Cemetery tours are a popular way for people to learn about their local history in a park-like setting.

These cemetery portraits help build community pride and create awareness and enthusiasm for historical restoration and preservation of historic buildings and the cemetery monuments. To make this tour more interesting, costumed actors have a special link to the person they are portraying.

This year's cast of characters and their performers are:

Former County Treasurer James Bashford, played by Wayne County Treasurer Tom Warnick;

Former banker Saxon B. Gavitt, played by his great-great grandson and employee of the Lyons National Bank - William Gavitt;

Former sheriff's wife Sarah Collins, played by her great-granddaughter, LarryAnn Evans;

Former druggist W. H. Sisson, played by retired druggist Winston Dobbins;

Attorney and politician John Milton Holley, played by County Court Judge Dennis Kehoe;

Attorney and land-owner DeWitt Parshall, played by attorney John Gibbon;

Housewife Jane Sterett Taft, played by Sharon Lubitow (present owner of the Taft home);

Former Broad Street hotel owner George Baltzel, played by present-day Broad Street bed and breakfast owner Bob MacDuffie;

Cigar manufacturer George Mapes, played by Lyons Town Clerk Sal Colatarci;

Engineer Augustus Leach, played by Lyons Mayor John Salone;

Artist Emma Rice Rudd played by Sherry Gibbon; and

Potter Thompson Harrington, played by Lyons School Superintendent Tim Morrell.

Tickets are on sale at the Society office and will also be sold at the cemetery on the night of the performance. Please purchase your tickets early. Tickets are $5 and free for children who are accompanied by an adult. The pouring-down-rain date is Friday, September 21. Refreshments will be provided by Wegmans and Zappia Vending Service after each performance.

For more information, contact the Society office at 946.4943, Monday-Friday, 10-4.

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