Bowditch Cemetery in Searsport Maine

Sometimes when surfing the web for new information that helps me with my massive genealogy website entitled catorfamily.com, I find a real treasure. As a child I knew that my ancestors were, for the most part, laid to rest or at least memorialized at a cemetery on Pendleton Road in Searsport, Maine, Bowditch Cemetery. I even got to visit it a couple of times as an adult who had discovered the passion of family history. I never did rubbings, but I took many photographs, some of which I put on my site, and others which were too dark, or too something...in other words, they were not worthy of sharing.

My husband and I met Jane and Bob Mercier in Searsport. They were not raised there but moved there and loved it, getting involved with the history which is so plentiful and colorful along the Penobscot Bay. They became self-proclaimed historians and called themselves the unofficial tourist information bureau for Searsport and mid-coast Maine. They could relay stories of families, traditions and they knew layout of the Bowditch Cemetery. Also they owned The Harbor House in Searsport - friendly owners and a friendly environment in which to shop!

Jane sent me a list of the "occupants" of the cemetery quite some time ago and I gleaned even more insight into my family heritage. As you may know, I enjoy working with fellow online genealogists by creating "partnership" webpages with them. Jane worked with me on my French family bible found in my grandmother's attic on Turnpike Road in that little town. Amy Blake, the then current resident of this family home, gave me the bible during a Maine visit - long after my grandmother has passed away. Jane was able to enlighten me about this bible family and we created a webpage: http://catorfamily.com/genealogy/frenchbiblerecords.html

Today I stumbled upon a new site (at least to me)...the Bowditch Cemetery site on the Searsport town page. WOW! It includes a picture, a plot layout, and the names of so many of my ancestors. I am humbly grateful for this information and truly suspect that a lot of the groundwork can be credited to the Merciers.  Thanks fellow genealogists, past and present!

When I stumbled onto this site, I also stumbled on to ALL the cemeteries of Searsport. I have come to realize that too few genealogy buffs live where they were born or where their ancestors were born and died. Treasure online saves us thousands of miles, hours, travel and on and on. To see information on the other cemeteries, use the link above and you will discover Elmwood, Evergreen, Gordon, Merithew, Mount Hope and Village Cemeteries - with plots and lists of those buried at each.