Hundreds of Fox Valley residents walked around a cemetery in Montgomery under a full moon recently, not to be scared but to learn a bit about local history.
Every year, the Montgomery Historic Preservation Commission hosts a Cemetery Walk at Riverside Cemetery. It is designed to let area residents learn about the people that came before them and how they lived when the area was being founded.
Volunteers dress in period clothing and then do a presentation about the characters they are portraying, all of whom are buried in the cemetery.
Gary Stout portrayed John Livsey, who was born in 1877 and served as village president in Montgomery. He also worked at Lyon Metallic and was at home with his family one fateful night in May 1913. One of the industrial ovens at the factory exploded, shaking many homes in the village.
Livsey was part of the crew that looked for the body of the man who was working during the accident, George Boedaski, who was killed instantly, commission members said.
John Aman was acting for the fifth time at the Cemetery Walk. He portrayed Ralph Gray, son of village founder Daniel Gray.
Aman said he believes the event is great for all residents.
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“I think it’s very good to have the characters you have (who lived in this town),” he said. “The people that grew up here, it’s funny all the characters I play.”
He said after generations of settlers it comes down to the same families.
“It becomes a comfortable community and people get used to that and it’s just amazing when you think about it, really,” he said.
Jeanette Lee took on the persona of Adrienne Falk Frazier, who was an artist in the community. Born in 1911, Frazier graduated from high school in 1929. Lee said she sketched more than 2,000 buildings in the region that were utilized on house walks and brochures. The woman worked as an art teacher and married Ralph Frazier in 1939.
“She was able to go to college with help from friends and she took a lot of correspondence courses. She taught art, she is somebody that you really don’t realize lived in this town. It’s local history and it’s really neat,” Lee said.
Of the hundreds of people who came to the Cemetery Walk, many said history was the primary reason.
“This is my fourth year doing this. I hope everyone learns a little bit more about Montgomery and who some of our founders are,” said Joe Yen.
Judy Pochel is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.