The Cemetery of Kelly Point

On June 30 I was in Prospect visiting my grandparents, and with the help of my grandfather (Weldon Coolen) I went to Kelly Point where his grandmother and her family the Noonans once lived. I was trying to find the cemetery located there.

When I was little I remember visiting this location with my grandfather and mother so we knew the general area of where it was located. We tied the boat up to a rock and started into the woods at the tip of the peninsula. Since my grandfather knew where it was, or at least where is was suppose to be, we headed right for it.

It turned out that the headstone was almost hanging right over the water where our boat was tied up. Unfortunately we had gone around the long way and came from behind. When we found it it was covered in moss, dirt, and everything else (it had rained the night before). We went and got a bucket of water and washed the headstone off, and bit by bit I could make out what was on the headstone. Here is the inscription:

IHS
SACRED
To the Memory of
MARY
Wife of James Hearn
who departed this Life
Aug. 15 1811 in the 26 Year
of her Age
a faithful Wife
a Sincere Christian
May she rest in Peace Amen

The cemetery is supposed to have more graves, and I suppose it does, but this is the only headstone we could find. For being almost 200 years old it looked pretty good. It was made of what looked like concrete, and was in perfect condition.

Mary Hearn was originally Mary Hemlow, the daughter of John Umlach and Margaret Redmond. She was born in Seabright in 1785.

Kelly Point is currently being developed into large homes, and the road that they are building is getting ever so close to the graveyard. We are in the progress of getting the cemetery fenced off so that no one disturbs the graveyard and headstone.