It
takes years of advocacy to get the state to restore and properly
memorialize state hospital cemeteries. Thus we have found it important
to keep the morale of the group up through various types of field
trips and activities. Here is a group of Danvers State Memorial
Committee Members arriving at Mt. Auburn Cemetery - a very lovely
cemetery outside of Boston. We are there to get ideas for memorials
for our cemetery.
Slide 14
Here
are two members of the Danvers State Memorial Committee - Carol
L'Italien and Arlene Horrell. Both are veterans. On a field trip
to Grafton State Hospital they found that ex-patient veteran had
bronze medallions at their burial site. Why not at Danvers State?
Subsequently we found that veterans from the Spanish American War,
WWI, and WWII are buried at Danvers.
Slide 15
On
another field trip we went to explore the cemeteries at Worcester
State Hospital. We found this rusted metal sign pole marking the
place where a woman from WSH was buried in 1988!!
Slide 16
Here
you see Steven Shuman, a member of the Danvers State Memorial Committee,
running a display booth at a rally during Mental Illness Awareness
Week in Webster Massachusetts. Getting the word out to other ex-patients
and enlisting their participation in the effort is vital to the
success of our campaign to restore the cemeteries.
