I could probably count the number of times I've been in Lake View Cemetery on one hand. No one buried there was close to me as far as I know.
When my girlfriend and I took part in the Fenton History Center's Saints and Sinners walking tour last Saturday, it was the first time I had walked around the cemetery in years. Despite being a little cold, we really enjoyed ourselves. It was a nice way to spend part of a weekend afternoon, and it got me away from the TV and horror movie marathons for a while.
Of the thousands of stories that could be told about those buried there, we only scratched the surface Saturday on the 75-minute tour.
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Scott Shelters
Learning about the Gokeys, Charles Dahlstrom, a War of 1812 veteran, the Lady in Glass, Lucille Ball and others was quite interesting. Our guide, and those playing the parts of people important to Jamestown's history, did a nice job of telling their stories and went into just about the right amount of detail in my opinion.
Even those who don't really enjoy local history might like the tours, which have been going for six years now. I found just walking around the cemetery enjoyable; it's always nice to catch a little fresh air on a nice fall day.
There are many beautiful monuments in the cemetery. Of course, having someone there to tell us why they're important was nice.
Although the Saints and Sinners tours are done for this year, I'm betting they'll be back next year. There was a good turnout Saturday, and it seemed like everyone in our group was having a good time.
We'll probably go again in 2013. My understanding is that the Fenton alters the tours from year to year, making it worthwhile to go back. Either way, we learned a little about a few people from Jamestown's history at least.