Rotarians get history lesson
Carol Southerland, who chairs the Historic Cemeteries Task Force here, unveiled for the Kinston Rotary Club Jan. 10 “a tapestry of our history” woven by monuments and stories connected with four burying grounds in downtown Kinston.
“The graves in the old cemeteries in downtown Kinston represent a history lesson,” Southerland told Rotarians.
The four cemeteries — Colonial, Maplewood, Cedargrove and the Hebrew cemetery, all grouped in an area bounded roughly by South Queen, Lincoln, Davis and Shine streets — are currently the focus of an effort “to preserve and upgrade the sites,” she said. That project dovetails with a program led by Pride of Kinston, the downtown revitalization agency, to improve South Queen Street and the Maplewood Cemetery entrance.
Since the cemetery project began in 2005, supporters have raised $250,000 in private funds to refurbish the cemeteries and catalogue the some 7,000 graves there.
Colonial and Maplewood are the city’s two oldest, with grave sites dating back to the beginning of the 19th century, including in Colonial those of the Peoples family, who owned Harmony Hall, now the county’s oldest structure. Civil War soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies are buried in Maplewood.
The grave markers, Southerland said, “represent not only their families but their times.”
The Kinston Rotary Club meets at 1 p.m. each Thursday at King’s Restaurant.
Farewell reception scheduled
The Lenoir County Rotary Club will host a farewell sendoff reception for Morgan Harrison, Lenoir County 2013 Distinguished Young Woman, as she prepares to head to Greensboro for the state program.
The event will be from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the La Grange First Free Will Baptist Church. Morgan is the daughter of Ted and Sheila Harrison and is a senior at North Lenoir High School.
The state competition will be held Feb. 8 and 9 at War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro. Morgan has been preparing for the week of competition, and friends and family are encouraged to drop by and wish her well as she makes her final preparations.
At the reception, Harrison will be collecting items for two baskets to be auctioned at the state competition — a UNC Tar Heels basket and one representing the N.C. State University Wolfpack. Any donated items will be appreciated. She also will be selling tickets at $5 each for an iPad.
To support this cause or help raise scholarship money for the state program, contact Harrison or program chairmen Mia Heath or Mellany Davis.