Lowell Cemetery

In the early 1900s, women’s obituaries were heavily gendered and brief. They prioritized piety and virtue. Lilla Adams Stott was born in Lowell, MA, on July 23, 1858, and when she died on December 3, 1902, she was remembered in this way: “Hers was a sweet, retiring nature, full of love and sympathy for others, a spirit of self-sacrifice influencing her life.” She is buried with her parents on Washington Ave.

Source: https://newspaperarchive.com/lowell-daily-courier-dec-06-1902-p-4/

Wesley M. Merritt was a 21-year-old Teamster when he enlisted as a corporal in the Union Army on May 5, 1861. He mustered into “B” Co. MA 2nd Infantry and served until March 23, 1863. He married Emily Keith in Lowell, MA, the following year. Wesley Merritt died on June 29, 1868 and is buried on Jasmine Path. His headstone incorporates masonic symbols. Look at the letter “G” nestled in the center of the square and compass. The “G” reminds Freemasons that all their actions are done in the presence of God, The Grand Architect.

Here’s what landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted said about the benefits of taking a walk:

“The enjoyment of scenery employs the mind without fatigue and yet exercises it, tranquilizes it and yet enlivens it; and thus, through the influence of the mind over the body, gives the effect of refreshing rest and reinvigoration to the whole system.”

June is the perfect time to take a walk in the Lowell Cemetery.