Cardington’s Glendale Cemetery Tour takes guests back in time

History became reality when the cemetery tour at Cardington’s Glendale Cemetery reviewed the lives of seven who are termed as “hometown heroes.”

The tour, held Saturday, Oct. 22, was led by group leaders Colin and Katie Hansen, Mary Zastudil, Jim Clinger, Darlene

Wallace, Becky Drouhard, Don and Nancy Burdsall, Emily Levings, John Wallks and Vickie Ullom.

Guides led 130 visitors to the grave sites of the seven where each was portrayed by a local resident, in costume, who related a biographical sketch of the individual.

Portraying Leumas Cook, one of the founders of Cardington, was Dan “Stogie” Robinson. Sonny Grooms and Andrew Schoppelrei portrayed Henry Cunard and James St. John, both of whom were killed the same day during the Civil War and are buried together. Dawn Ruehrmund assumed the personna of Dr. Florence S. Goodhue, Morrow County’s only female physician for many years and Jane Edgell assumed the person of Alice E.Van Sickle, newspaper reporter who achieved recognition throughout Ohio.

Margie Bowman took the identity of Caroline Hack whose murder remains unsolved and Pat Drouhard portrayed Robert Long, Civil War soldier who was imprisoned at Andersonville.

The proceeds from the tour are applied to the restoration of the Civil War Monument in the cemetery. Its history was related by Diana McClure. Estimates of its repair are $35,000. A graph, created by Josh Groves, Cardington-Lincoln Art Teacher, showed the goal to reach.

Traffic control was conducted by Paul and Jenny Etgen, Donna Carver and Carmel Cooper. Refreshments, served by Chester Arbor of the Gleaners, were provided by Friends of Cardington. History Tour committee members were Lea Ann Maceyko, Michelle Cope Fleming, and Troy and Dawn Ruehrmund. Special thanks were extended to Groves, Sydney Vaught, for making the slate name plates; Jack and Jane Edgell for costume designs and

Gompf’s Funeral Home for the 1880 Horse drawn hearse displayed and for cleaning the headstones, the Glendale Cemetery Board and staff for working with the group and Maceyko Tax for their assistance. Also thanked were Joanne Mathews for the history of the mausoleum and Evelyn Long, for researching the home town heroes.

Courtesy photo The personnel who conducted the Glendale Cemetery Tour where graves of seven “Hometown heroes” were visited and and their lives impersonated by local residents. In the background is the 1880 Horse drawn hearse loaned by Gompf Funeral Home.

http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/10/web1_Glendale-Cemetery-tour-personnel-1.jpgCourtesy photo The personnel who conducted the Glendale Cemetery Tour where graves of seven “Hometown heroes” were visited and and their lives impersonated by local residents. In the background is the 1880 Horse drawn hearse loaned by Gompf Funeral Home.