|
Lincoln Cemetery
|
On
Saturday, September 21, 2002, descendants of Thomas Morris Chester,
journalist, educator, diplomat, lawyer, scholar, gathered at his grave in Lincoln
Cemetery, Penbrook, to unveil a newly refurbished gravestone with
corrected year of birth. The ceremony was a part of the United
States Colored Troops Institute Regional Conference, held at Harrisburg
that weekend, at the National Civil War Museum. |
« Left: Ms. Latonya Randall, great, great, grandniece of Thomas Morris Chester, addresses the crowd. Prior to her speech, the Rev. Samuel O. Richardson, (at left, back to camera) great grandson of Chester and pastor of Slades Chapel AME Zion Church, Morgantown, North Carolina, offered a prayer. Guests then sang Lift Every Voice and Sing. Click photograph » At right, members of the American Legion Honor Guard present the colors as descendants of Chester prepare to unveil the new tombstone. At left is Elizabeth Hardy Autridge, great grandniece of T. Morris Chester, who presided over the ceremony. Click for a larger image.
« Far Left: The new tombstone was unveiled by Mr. Robert Richardson, Sr., grandson of Chester. Here, Mr. Richardson reads a short speech to the crowd. « Left: The newly refurbished tombstone is unveiled, to applause and cheers, with the help of Mr. James Richardson. Click for larger images. »At right, Mr. G. Y. Gbamakollie, great grandnephew of Chester, prepares to present Mrs. Ella Mae Simmons, Lincoln Cemetery Chairperson, with a certificate of thanks from the descendants of Thomas Morris Chester. Click for a larger image. « Left: Ms. Simmons accepts the thanks of the Chester family descendants on behalf of Wesley Union AME Zion Church and presents Mr. Gbamakollie with a memorial booklet containing a history of Lincoln Cemetery. The ceremony came to a close with the guests and family singing the Liberian National Anthem, All Hail Liberia Hail, followed by a closing prayer offered by Wesley Union pastor Reverend Beatrice Carter on behalf of the Reverend Jimmy Allen Thomas of the church. Click for a larger image. »At right, proud descendants of Thomas Morris Chester take time to pose for pictures with the new tombstone for their famous ancestor. From left: Mr. Ernest Dennis, Mr. Gregory Richardson, and Mr. James Richardson. Click for a larger image. « From Left: Mr. James Richardson, Mr. Ernest Dennis, Mr. G. Y. Gbamakollie, Rev. Samuel O. Richardson, and Mr. Gregory Richardson.
Chester's
funeral notice from The Patriot, 1892 All photos on this page and on the preceding page are by George F. Nagle and are property of Afrolumens Project. Please contact the site editor for permission to republish photos. |
afrolumens project home | enslavement | underground railroad | 19th century | 20th century
Original
material on this page copyright 2003-2005 Afrolumens Project.
The url of this page is http://www.afrolumens.com/rising_free/uscti2.html
This page was updated February 22, 2005.