Elder Grey Cemetery

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The Elder Grey Cemetery sits just across the road from the Meeting House. A well-maintained resting place in a country setting, the cemetery is rich in local history and bucolic charm, and rewards equally the casual passer-by and the serious visitor. In the center, two granite obelisks mark the resting spot for Elder Gray's parents, Nehemiah and Olive Gray.

Elsewhere lie the graves of Robert Bradeen, James Uran, and Eligood Mills, early settlers of Waterborough and Revolutionary War veterans. Regardless of the season, this lovely and tranquil spot is worth a detour off busy Route 5. [The genealogy for Eligood Mills is provided by Dr. David W. Rudge, Associate Professor, Biology Education, Biological Sciences & The Mallinson Institute for Science Education at Western Michigan University.]

In 1832 the Meeting House was moved to its present site atop Chadbourne Ridge, also known as Bradeen Ridge, in order to be nearer the aging pastor, Elder James Gray who lived some two miles away, and possibly to accommodate the growing number of families who were living on the hills and ridges to the north of this area. 

Joseph and Samuel Bradeen, brothers, owned farms on opposite sides of the road.  Joseph gave the site where the Meeting House was placed, and Samuel gave land across the road for the cemetery.  Upon his death in 1854, the cemetery became the burial place of Elder James Gray and later, in 1858, his wife Anna.

In 1938 Erving Stuart built the front wall of the cemetery. To provide expansion of the cemetery, additional land was donated by Willis Lord and his sister Edith Pierce. New walls surrounding the added space have been built.

Cemetery Regulations
The sale of lots in the Elder Grey Cemetery is open only to all residents of Waterboro, relatives of persons interred in the cemetery, and in special circumstances as voted by the President, Custodian and at least one Trustee of the Elder Grey Meeting House-Cemetery Association. Lots may not be sold or transferred unless sold or transferred back to the Elder Grey Meeting House-Cemetery Association at the purchase price. Regulations are subject to the by-laws of the Elder Grey Meeting House-Cemetery Association, as may be amended from time to time, and also subject to ordinances of the Town of Waterboro and laws of the State of Maine.

• No shrubs or trees may be planted on lots.
• There will be no gravestone rubbings except with instructions and permission of the custodian.
• No ornaments other than flowers may be left at the grave site for more than thirty days after burial.  The custodian reserves the right to remove ornaments in place beyond that time. 
• Gravestones may not be more than 42 inches high.
• All work and placement of gravestones on lots must be supervised by the cemetery custodian.
• The cemetery will be closed for the winter season on November 15th.
• All full burials will be placed in burial vaults. 

Cemetery Funding
The annual upkeep of the cemetery and capital expenditures are financed primarily through lot sales. We recognize, however, that the cemetery lots are finite and the time will come when there are no more lots to sell.

To that end, we have created a Perpetual Care Fund which, thanks to a very successful fundraising initiative in 2014, now totals nearly $27,000. Our goal is to eventually reach $100,000 so that the investment return will ensure funds for cemetery maintenance well into the future.

When creating this Perpetual Care Fund, we looked for an investment option that beat inflation and at the same time offered a low risk of compromising principal. Additionally, our goal in choosing this investment was to create a path of security and good management for our successors.  And, we thought it would be nice to invest funds locally—in Maine, if possible.

We found an excellent opportunity to meet our goals with the highly respected Maine Community Foundation. Its Asset Stewardship Program offers professional management with yield above inflation and low risk. The Maine Community Foundation manages over $420 million in assets, $64 million of which is held in endowment funds for nonprofit organizations such as ours.

Donations to the Elder Grey Meeting House-Cemetery Association designated for the Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund are always gratefully received and deeply appreciated. 

Please visit our "Donate" page for donation options.