“My mother called me today to tell me about the great article about the Hopewell church. They are celebrating their 150th anniversary. Many of my relatives are buried there—-both my mother’s parents. She plans to have her own plot there, if she doesn’t already. My parents were married there.” from an email from Christine Cranmore.
As listed in Lorna Grauer’s book, The People of Hopewell Cemetery, we have many ancestors buried in Hopewell. The land was donated by Rachel Matheny. Any of our family can have a plot there, but it’s no longer free. The cost is about $250. The rule is that anyone that lives within fifteen miles of the cemetery or has a relative buried there can purchase a plot. It is managed by a cemetery association, which meets annually.
For several years, some of our family members met at the cemetery in the spring before Memorial Day to do a cleanup. This event has been discontinued since the maintenance personnel have been keeping it maintained. It had been suggested that the family make a place for relatives to sit and visit, as many do on Memorial Day, perhaps with a couple of benches. A monument with a brief history of the cemetery could make it more of a destination for family exploring their heritage.
Elma Hewitt has suggested having a small columbarium (building with recesses for cremation urns) at the cemetery. It wasn’t approved in the past, but anyone interested should contact Elma.
[See “150 Years of Heritage in Hopewell” by Molly Walker, McMinnville News-Register 11/18/2008 and “A Cemetery’s Tale” by Karl Klooster, McMinnville News-Register 8/30/2008