Cemetery tour a special event

I had the unique opportunity and privilege to participate in local historian Henry Timman's second historical tour of the summer at Norwalk's beautiful Woodlawn Cemetery on Sunday, Aug. 7. Also attending with me on that blisteringly hot and humid day was my fellow Norwalk Cemetery Association Board member and colleague Bill Knadler, along with 26 other interested visitors, most of whom were from the Norwalk area. The tour began at 1 pm at the old mausoleum, which was where everyone gathered before the actual tour began. Constructed in 1920, the mausoleum is very impressive to look at, both inside and out. Once inside the mausoleum, one can truly see and appreciate the beauty of the three magnificent stained-glass windows that adorn and provide light inside of the structure. Even though I have now served on the Norwalk Cemetery Association's Board of Directors since 2020, filling Mr. Timman's vacated seat, I had never been inside this beautiful and historic mausoleum until the day of the tour and I must say that I really loved what I saw inside, especially the gorgeous stained glass windows. Henry began giving tours of Woodlawn Cemetery in 2004, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the cemetery's founding in 1854. He has been giving historic tours of the cemetery ever since. Henry served on the Norwalk Cemetery Association's Board of Directors from 1978 to 1990, went off the board for a period of time, then served again from 2000 until he resigned his seat in 2020. He also served as the board's president for part of his tenure. As we meandered through Woodlawn Cemetery's 56 acres of beautifully wooded and landscaped grounds, Henry mentioned that a veteran from every war since the Revolutionary War itself has been buried in the cemetery. In fact, about 16,000 people are currently buried or entombed at the cemetery, which is incredible when you think that the current population of Norwalk is 16,860, according to the 2020 census. That is one person now buried or entombed in the cemetery for almost every single person living in the city today. Something that really impressed me while on the tour and that I never noticed before until the day of the tour itself, were the half dozen or more grave markers that were purposely designed and built to look like tree stumps, which then had a small plaque with the names of the deceased engraved on them. According to Henry, this was a style that was fashionable and made popular by people living in the Victorian era, dating anywhere from the late-1800s through the first decade of the 20th century. What fascinated me the most was the fact that these tree stump grave markers could actually be ordered through the very popular Sears and Roebuck catalog at that time. Henry's interesting tour took visitors through the vast majority of the cemetery, from the very oldest and most historic sections of the cemetery to the newer, more recently developed sections, where both Henry and his wonderful wife, Marty, will one day be buried — not too far away in fact from where my beloved parents are buried and where I also plan to be buried when my time comes. Thank you Henry for giving all of us another great tour and for a job very well done, my friend. Gary Richards is a teacher and traveler who likes to write about his trips. He is a Norwalk resident.