<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3ZWanV_1H1g2pk900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3ZWanV_1H1g2pk900" width="944" height="602" ><figcaption>Sisters Stephanie and Patricia Wright unveil a burial directory plaque at Center Cemetery in Sheffield on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Research by the Wright family, the Sheffield Historical Society, and the Center Cemetery Association identified previously unmarked graves in the cemetery. Photo by Shaw Israel Izikson.</figcaption></figure>Sheffield — More than 18 months ago, resident Patricia Wright walked into the Sheffield Historical Society and asked archivist Jim Miller for help with her genealogy research.“I asked Jim where I could start with my research, and he said, ‘In the cemetery,’” Wright told The Berkshire Edge. “After a moment’s pause, I said, ‘Well, is that where my relatives and ancestors are buried?’ He said he didn’t know.”That exchange led Wright, Miller, and Sheffield Historical Society researchers Paul O’Brien and Jackson Karpicz to start a project to identify unmarked burial plots in Center Cemetery.Center Cemetery, located at 71 Berkshire School Road, was established in 1836. It has 2,630 stone markers and headstones, but some of the burial plots are unmarked.The project identified 15 unmarked plots among the cemetery’s 25 western plots, containing 33 individuals, several of them Wright’s relatives. According to the society, the burials range from 1871 to 1975.“This has been a journey of discovery,” Wright said. “It took over a year, but we found an unmarked area of the cemetery and we found my relatives. We’ve marked all of them.”At a ceremony on Wednesday, November 11, the Sheffield Historical Society, the Center Cemetery Association, and members of the Wright family dedicated a burial directory and markers identifying the previously unmarked burial sites.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1HOcPT_1H1g2pk900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1HOcPT_1H1g2pk900" width="1697" height="954" ><figcaption>Attendees of Wednesday’s dedication ceremony. Photo by Shaw Israel Izikson.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4Q7zR2_1H1g2pk900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Q7zR2_1H1g2pk900" width="1697" height="954" ><figcaption>Lifelong Sheffield resident Patricia Wright addresses the audience just before the plaque is unveiled. Wright served in the Army for 30 years and retired as a colonel. Photo by Shaw Israel Izikson.</figcaption></figure>The burial directory and markers were made possible by the Wright family, with some family members attending Wednesday’s ceremony.“The research included searching online databases and documents we have at the society, along with researching burial directories, maps, family stories, and newspaper articles,” O’Brien said. “These people all have stories, and their stories are in relationship to those who are all still here today. These people were here and came before us. They built this town, and they are part of our history. We should acknowledge that and recognize them.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4IjeMv_1H1g2pk900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4IjeMv_1H1g2pk900" width="1697" height="954" ><figcaption>Sheffield Historical Society researcher Paul O’Brien speaks during the dedication ceremony. Photo by Shaw Israel Izikson.</figcaption></figure>The ceremony also served as a remembrance of the Colored Southern Berkshire Holiness Society, a significant religious and cultural institution in town for many years.Founded in 1885, the society built its own church on Bears Den Road. The church closed in 1916 and the building is no longer standing, but the historic parsonage on the site survives and has been converted into a private residence.The Rev. Clyde Talley of the A.M.E. Zion Church spoke about the society’s history during the ceremony. He said the A.M.E. Zion Church is a continuation of the original denomination in Sheffield.“From what I understand, it was a significant church, and it was vibrant and alive,” Talley told The Berkshire Edge before the ceremony. “We still remember its pastor and its members. They are gone, but they are not forgotten. I think it’s important to respect those who have spent some time and effort to serve the community.”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=385BXj_1H1g2pk900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=385BXj_1H1g2pk900" width="1697" height="954" ><figcaption>Rev. Clyde Talley of the A.M.E. Zion Church with O’Brien and Wright. Photo by Shaw Israel Izikson.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0cTnUz_1H1g2pk900" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0cTnUz_1H1g2pk900" width="1697" height="954" ><figcaption>O’Brien with the unveiled burial directory plaque. Photo by Shaw Israel Izikson.</figcaption></figure>For more information about the Sheffield Historical Society, visit its website.</div></body>

Block Source: theberkshireedge.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

Sheffield — More than 18 months ago, resident Patricia Wright walked into the Sheffield Historical Society and asked archivist Jim Miller for help with her genealogy research. “I asked Jim where I could start with my research, and he said, ‘In the cemetery,’” Wright told The Berkshire Edge. “After...

Sheffield group identifies, marks 33 unmarked graves at Center Cemetery

NewsBreak

Sheffield — More than 18 months ago, resident Patricia Wright walked into the Sheffield Historical Society and asked archivist Jim Miller for help with her

Sheffield group identifies, marks 33 unmarked graves at Center Cemetery

Comments