Wreaths Across America at Old Newton Burial Ground

By Mandy Coriston
Newton - The public is invited to a Wreaths Across America ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Old Newton Burial Ground in Newton. Slated to begin at noon, this one-hour tribute, sponsored by the Sussex County Historical Society, will include laying wreaths on the graves of 41 veterans and one female "patriot," full military honors by American Legion Post 86, and remarks from local historians and preservationists, notably Sussex County Historian Wayne McCabe and members of Harmony Lodge 8 F&AM and the Sons of the American Revolution.
Wendy Wyman, Sussex County Historical Society trustee and event chair, said the ceremony will serve as a remembrance of the veterans entombed at the cemetery. “There’s a quote that Wreaths Across America uses,” she said, “that reads ‘It is said a person dies twice- first when we stop breathing, and again, when our name is said for the last time’. This is all about the veterans, and it’s important that we read their names so that we don’t forget them.”
This is the first year the Old Newton Burial Ground has hosted a formal public Wreaths Across America ceremony, and Wyman is hopeful that people will come out and discover the history the cemetery has to offer. “This event for everyone,” she said, “I’d love for people to bring their children, so we can begin to pass the knowledge on to younger people.”
The Old Newton Burial Ground is maintained by volunteers from the Sussex County Historical Society and holds public events three times a year. The footpath to access the cemetery is located between 75 and 79 Main Street in Newton, across from the Hill Memorial Museum, and is marked with a wood and iron sign. For more information, email event chair Wendy Wyman at wmzwyman@hotmail.com or see the Sussex County Historical Society’s website at www.sussexhistory.org.
Wreaths Across America is a national initiative whose motto is “Remember. Honor. Teach.” Each year, wreaths are laid to honor our veterans at Arlington National Cemetery and more than 1,400 cemeteries at home and abroad. Information on sponsoring a wreath or participating in a ceremony can be found online at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

What: Wreaths Across America Ceremony.
Where: The Old Newton Burial Ground, 75-79 Main St, Newton.
When: Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018 at 12:00 p.m.
Who: Sponsored by the Sussex County Historical Society.