GenMassachusetts-L Archives

From: "Betty" <>
Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] Littleton Graveyard (photos)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:02:34 -0400

Hello,

Yesterday I visited the "old graveyard" in Littleton and took a few
pictures. I visited last week, but 10 minutes after arriving it started
to rain. Yesterday it was a cloudy, and windy day, so the pictures aren't
perfect. But, because it is a New England October (meaning foliage
colors), one or two of the pictures are pretty.

If anyone would like to see them, I have scanned them into my computer and
can send them to you as an attachment. (Separately -- off-list.)

By the way, last week, because it was raining, I went to the Library in
Littleton and discovered there is no "history of Littleton." That was
surprising to me. The Librarian told me I needed to look at the "brief
history" in the "history of Middlesex County."

I initially went to the Littleton graveyard looking for Thomas DITSON's
grave, and secondly for a KIDDER grave. I did find an old gravestone for
Capt. Francis KIDDER (Jr.) with a Rev. War marker beside it. (DIX also on
stone). When I went to the Library, I had two coincidences. The first
one was, when I discovered that the Cemetery Director for Littleton was
standing beside me. :o) He showed me the book which lists every person
who is buried in the town. (DITSON is not there.)

The second coincidence was when I asked a different Librarian if I could
copy a page out of the "history of Middlesex County." She did it for me,
and we started to chat. I mentioned that I had vacationed in Littleton
as a child as my uncle and aunt lived beside Long Lake. I mentioned their
MAITLAND name and the Librarian had a "look" on her face: "Larry?" I
said, Yes, he was my cousin. It turns out she and her husband were old
friends with Larry, but she hadn't seen him in a long time. I had to let
her know that my cousin had passed away.

Anyways, a few weeks ago I "finally" visited the "old graveyard" in
Chelmsford and took some pictures. With both graveyards I discovered
they are a little larger than they look from the street. In Littleton
the majority of the stones are readable - at least for the surname. In
Chelmsford many of the stones are .not. readable. In fact, it would be
very difficult to find a particular stone.

For people who don't live in the New England area, my experience is that
there aren't too many weeks when it is a GOOD day to walk around a cemetery
and take good pictures ! :o(


Betty (near Lowell, MA)

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• [GENMASSACHUSETTS] Littleton Graveyard (photos) by "Betty" <>