The Memorial Ceremony and Dedication of the Lynn
cemetery on the 12th High School site took place on Saturday, September 6, 2014. It was a poignant, respectful conclusion to a
12 month journey that began with a whirlwind of miscommunication, frustration,
and media frenzy, but ultimately ended with Prince William County Schools
(“PWCS”), Lynn family members, leaders in the historical community, neighbors,
and the general public coming together to rescue a small 19th
century family cemetery from oblivion.
When I saw the newly relocated and restored cemetery
for the first time before Saturday’s ceremony, it brought me to tears. The original field stone markers stand clean
and upright amid newly planted periwinkle.
A shiny new memorial plaque near the entrance of a simple but attractive
black fence reads:
This 19th century cemetery was moved from
its original location in 2014 by Prince William County Schools during the high
school construction. The original
location was 925 feet south-west from this spot. Historical research and archeological
evidence suggests that the cemetery includes the burials of William and
Cordelia Lynn and their family. This new
cemetery is rededicated on William Lynn’s original tract of land.
With the aid of GPS and laser measurements made during
the archeological excavation of the original cemetery, the 11 graves were
reinterred as close to their original orientation and layout as possible. All of the remains and artifacts were
reinterred in the new cemetery.
Approximately 25 people attended Saturday’s Memorial Ceremony,
which began with an opening prayer by Rev. Gene R. Wells of Woodbine Church and
a greeting from David S. Cline, PWCS Assoc. Superintendent of Finance and
Support Services. It was a nice touch
that the attendees in the audience were given the opportunity to introduce
themselves and their interest in the proceedings. More than a dozen of my Lynn family cousins
were there to honor their ancestors and support the new cemetery.
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| Pastor Gene Wells |
Pastor Gene explained that his church, Woodbine
Baptist Church on Canova Drive in Independent Hill, was founded by Levi C. Lynn
in May of 1875. In a wonderful homage to
the past, he used Levi's original 1875 Bible to tell the Biblical story of how
Joseph’s bones were taken out of Egypt and into the Promised Land by his
descendants. Pastor Gene also spoke a
bit of how his own search to discover the history of his church had led him to
learn about the Lynn family and their involvement in PWCo.
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David Cline, Marte Nohe, and
Pastor Gene Wells |
I was honored to be one of the speakers at the ceremony
and used the opportunity to tell a bit more about the contributions made to
PWCo by my Lynn ancestors. I spoke about the land itself, and how much of Independent Hill in the 19th
century was made up of farms owned by the Lynns or neighbors who married into
the family. But mostly, I spoke about
the family we believe to be buried in the cemetery itself – that of William and
Cordelia Lynn, my 2nd great grandparents, and their children. I’m not quite certain how the attendees felt,
but it was a moving moment for me to be able to speak those 11 names aloud just
a few feet from their newly dedicated resting place.
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Wreath laying - John Windley,
David Cline, Lillie Jesse, & Marte Nohe |
Marte Nohe, County Supervisor for the Coles
Magisterial District, acknowledge the contributions of the Lynn family to PWCo and
how the county and community came together to work in compromise. The new high school being built on what was
once the William Lynn farm is just one more contribution toward the good that
can be done for PWCo and its students. One
day soon, the 12th High School will begin to educate the county
leaders of tomorrow.
Bagpiper Kevin Byrne, the husband of a PWCS teacher,
played Amazing Grace as David Cline,
Marte Nohe, School Board member Lille Jesse (Occoquan), and John J. Windley
(PWCS Director, Office of Facilities Services) laid a silk wreath of autumn
colors in the cemetery beside the new memorial plaque.
After the wreath laying, three generations of Lynn
family descendants went into the cemetery to lay white roses on each of the 11
graves before Pastor Gene concluded with a closing prayer.
All in all, it was a touching and respectful ceremony
to honor the final resting place for William and Cordelia Lynn and their children.
~ ~ ~
It was noted by David Cline that, because the cemetery
is still within an active construction site, visitations in the immediate
future will need to be coordinated with PWCS’s Office of Facilities Services. However, when the 12th High School
is completed in 2016, a small, tree-lined path will lead from the parking lot
to the cemetery so that family may visit at any time.
~ ~ ~
Over the course of the past year, many people and
organizations stepped forward to help resolve the issue of William and Cordelia's
final resting place -- far too many to thank them all by name! However, there are a select few that I personally
would like to single out for special thanks:
(1) Bill Olson of the PWCo
Historical Commission, who is a fierce advocate and force to be reckoned with
when it comes to the preservation of PWCo's cemeteries, large or small.
(2) The wonderful staff/volunteers
at RELIC for their invaluable research in determining that the cemetery is
(almost certainly) that of William and Cordelia Lynn and their children.
(3) John Windley, PWCS Director of
Facilities Services, who has worked closely with the Lynn family to
come to a respectful, appropriate solution.
His professionalism and calmness throughout is greatly appreciated.
(4) Last, and
certainly not least, I would like to thank Pastor Gene Wells of Woodbine
Church. From the very beginning Pastor
Gene has been a calming voice of reason in a raging storm. He worked hard to bring all of the parties
together (PWCS, Lynn family, county, and neighbors) to reach a peaceful
conclusion to what began as a heated, volatile situation. Pastor Gene also
planned the beautiful and touching Memorial Ceremony and Dedication from
beginning to end, for which I will be forever grateful.
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| The Author standing with her ancestors. (Photo by Pastor Gene Wells) |
