Cemeteries of Western New York, 1411 Delaware Avenue (2026)

04/07/2026

Today, as we celebrate the 250th birthday of our nation, we pause to honor the patriots of the American Revolutionary War whose final resting places are found within the Forest Lawn Group of cemeteries featured on this page.

In the weeks leading up to this date, we have highlighted their stories of courage, commitment, and sacrifice for our nation. May their stories continue to be told for years to come.

03/07/2026

From Bunker Hill to Yorktown
The American Revolution lasted eight long years, but few Patriots remained in uniform long enough to see it through. Jonathan Blount Jr. was one of them.
Born in Chester, New Hampshire, on April 16, 1753, to Mary Wilson and Johnathan Blount Sr., he is said, according to family tradition, to have witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775. Records confirm that he enlisted in Palmer, Massachusetts, in March 1777 as a private in the 3rd Artillery, joining Captain Thomas Seward’s Company in Colonel John Crane’s regiment and remaining in service for six years, three months, and twenty-five days.
Artillery duty demanded strength, skill, and courage. Their job included hauling cannons and heavy guns across rough terrain and into battle, often making them prime targets for enemy fire.
In 1781, Private Blount and Colonel John Crane's artillery regiment fought in the Siege of Yorktown. As part of the combined American and French army, they relentlessly attacked British defenses, ultimately forcing General Cornwallis to surrender—a victory that effectively secured independence.
Jonathan remained in service for the duration of the war, and his family has written that General George Washington himself signed Private Blount’s discharge papers in June 1783. Sadly, those papers were destroyed in a fire many years ago.
Jonathan returned home, married Mehitable Lyon, and raised three children before settling on a farm in Gaines, New York. When he applied for a pension in 1818, he described himself as a “farmer in modest circumstances”—a humble end for a man who was part of a turning point in American history.
Jonathan Blount passed away in September 1828. He rests in Section 2L, lot 319, at Clarence Fillmore Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group. His family proudly honors his story on his headstone, and the longevity of his service reminds us that the fight for independence continued years after the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago.

01/07/2026

Born on April 28, 1762, in Exeter, Rhode Island, Thomas Barber III descended from one of the colony's oldest families. Over six generations, the Barbers helped transform a small frontier settlement into a thriving town.
Raised in a large family by Thomas Barber Sr. and Mary Barney, Thomas was only sixteen when he answered his country's call. In June 1778, he enlisted as a private from Hopkinton, Rhode Island, serving under Colonel Noyes and Captain Hoxie.
His commitment didn’t end with a single enlistment. Thomas returned to service in 1779 under Colonel Topham and Captain Thomas, then enlisted again under Colonel Noyes and Captain Wells. His repeated service reflects his belief in the fight for American independence.
One of the defining moments of Private Barber's military career came during General John Sullivan's Expedition of 1779. Ordered by General George Washington, the campaign was launched in response to the destruction of American settlements in Wyoming Valley and Cherry Valley by Loyalists and Haudenosaunee, who were allied with the British. Nearly 5,000 soldiers marched deep into western New York, destroying enemy strongholds and driving the British-Allied forces to retreat toward Fort Niagara and bringing much-needed relief to Patriot settlements that had endured years of devastating raids.
After the war, Thomas married Elizabeth Greenold in 1787, and together they raised four children. Like many veterans seeking new opportunities, he later settled in Amherst, New York, returning to the very frontier he had helped secure during the war.
Thomas Barber died on November 25, 1837, at 75 years old. He is buried in Section A, row 14 at Williamsville Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group. His stone was donated in 1903, and his story reminds us that American independence was secured not only by celebrated generals and famous battles but also by young soldiers who defended frontier settlements that would become the home we know today.

29/06/2026

The first shots of the American Revolution had been fired at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. Just months later, Jedediah Darbee II enlisted as a private in Captain Joseph Jewett's Company of Colonel Jedediah Huntington's Connecticut Regiment.
Born on January 10, 1757, in Preston, Connecticut, Jedediah II was the eldest son of seven children born to Lucretia Cleveland and Jedediah Darbee I. When the American Revolution erupted, he was just 18 years old and like thousands of young patriots, he left his family and the life he'd always known to answer his country's call.
Jedediah marched to Boston, where one of the Revolution's first major military campaigns was already underway. For nearly 11 months, American forces surrounded the city, trapping the British Army inside. When the British finally evacuated Boston by sea in March 1776, Private Darbee 1st battle was one of America's first major victory. He remained in service until January 1, 1777.
After the war, Jedediah moved to Vermont, married Elizabeth Avery Gore in 1789, and together they raised five children. Following Elizabeth's death in 1811, he and his family settled in West Falls, New York.
By his early sixties, illnesses affecting his head and stomach left him unable to work and care for his 84-year-old mother and sick daughter. In 1818, Congress created pensions for impoverished Revolutionary War veterans, and Jedediah applied for the $8/month benefit, declaring that he depended upon "the assistance of his country for support."
The government, overwhelmed by nearly 19,000 pension claims amended the law in 1820, requiring veterans to prove their financial need and Jedediah's pension was suspended.
His pension was restored in 1823 after he provided the documents needed- including a list of everything he owned such as his old cow, his frying pan, and any money owed to him.
Jedediah passed away on October 9, 1828, and rests in Section 1, Lot 74 at Griffin Mills Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group. His story reminds us that, for many Revolutionary soldiers, their fight did not always end on the battlefield.

24/06/2026

The Militia’s Called to Action:
When the Continental Army needed help, they often called for backup from the local militia, and a rider (like Paul Revere) would gallop into town shouting the urgent plea.
The militia, a local defense force dating back to the 1630s, required every able-bodied man between 16 and 60 to serve and defend his town when called upon.
One such call came on September 22, 1777, when a rider raced 80 miles from Saratoga, NY, to a small Massachusetts town.
Hearing the call, the local militia quickly gathered their muskets, food, and packs- and the 2nd Company of the Massachusetts Militia, led by Captain Samuel Merriman, marched out on foot towards Saratoga. Among them was 19-year-old Private Asa Field.
Asa was born on November 9, 1757, in Northfield, Massachusetts, the youngest of six children of Abigail Holton and Ebenezer Field.
By the time the militia arrived, the fighting at Freeman’s Farm had stalled, and the Americans were fortifying their position at Bemis Heights. Asa likely spent hours digging trenches, cutting down trees, and doing anything that would help strengthen the Americans’ defensive line.
On October 7th, fighting once again erupted, and for ten days, Asa stood alongside the Continental Army and his fellow militia, loading and firing his musket as the British tried to advance.
Finally, on October 17th, with no escape, little food, and supplies, British General John Burgoyne surrendered his army - a turning point in the war.
Private Field was discharged the next day and returned home one month and three days after he answered that call. Asa returned to service again in 1779.
In 1791, Asa moved to Vermont, married Anna Diggins, and together, they raised five children. The Field family would settle in Lancaster, New York, in 1811.
Asa passed away on December 6, 1831, at the age of 74. He rests in Section OG at Lancaster Rural Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.

22/06/2026

Family Tales From The American Revolution
History documents the past, but so many captivating moments in time aren’t recorded in our history books, and they only survive when a person shares the unique details, descriptions, and emotions of their firsthand experiences with their family, who then pass that story down from one generation to the next.
Benjamin Cheney’s family has one such tale.
Born on May 18, 1763, to Dorcas Stewart and Joseph Cheney in Wells, Maine, Benjamin was the sixth of thirteen children in a family of early American settlers. His father, uncle, and brother were already fighting in the Continental Army, so it’s no surprise that at just sixteen years old, Benjamin enlisted in Bartlett’s New Hampshire Regiment of Militia in July of 1779.
As the story goes, one day Benjamin and a fellow soldier were out scouting for food when they stumbled upon a group of Redcoats just beyond a rock wall. Outnumbered and unprepared, Benjamin should have run to notify his troop. Instead, he told the other soldier to run through the woods and make noise while he climbed the wall and ordered the British to drop their weapons! The boys should have been captured, but they weren’t. As the family story goes, the noises in the woods led the British to believe they were surrounded, so they dropped their weapons, raised their arms, and surrendered, never realizing they had been fooled by the two boys, who had no weapons of their own. Imagine the look and the cheers of Benjamin’s fellow soldiers when the two young men returned with their captives.
Benjamin would eventually return home and share his triumphant moment with his family.
In 1783, shortly after the war ended, Benjamin married Eunice Hubbard, and they settled on bounty land granted to him for his service in Vermont. Around 1820, Benjamin sold his farm to one of his sons and moved the rest of his growing family to Freedom, New York.
Benjamin Cheney passed away on October 2, 1840, at the age of 77. He now rests in Freedom Rural Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group, and thanks to his descendants, his story continues to thrive more than 250 years later.

19/06/2026

The Shearer Family- Fighting For Freedom
When the call for liberty rang out across the colonies, it wasn’t uncommon for all the men in a family to head into battle.
The Shearers were one of them.
John Shearer Sr., an Irish immigrant, came to America in 1720 in search of opportunity and built a quiet life as a farmer in Palmer, Massachusetts, with his wife, Jane, and their ten children. But when the Lexington Alarm sounded, he set aside his pitchfork, grabbed his rifle, and marched off to serve in Captain Speer’s Company with his son William right beside him.
One by one, all eight brothers joined the Continental Army- including the youngest, Noah.
Imagine that farmhouse in those years—one son after another leaving home to answer the same call. Mother and sisters were left to tend the farm and worry about whether the boys would ever come home.
Noah was born on September 4, 1764, and was just nine years old when his father left home. Like so many young Americans of his time, he wanted to help in the fight for independence. Just before his twelfth birthday, Noah made his way to the Battle of Bennington, where he performed whatever duty was needed—guarding prisoners, tending the soldiers’ horses, hauling supplies, and carrying a musket when called upon. It’s said that he even helped drive the baggage wagons of General Washington himself.
When the Revolution ended, remarkably, despite all the danger, every one of the Shearers made it home.
After the war, Noah built a life on his own farm, married Tirza Merrick in 1791, and after her passing, married Betsy Heald. He raised a family of nine children and eventually settled in East Aurora, New York.
Noah passed away on June 24, 1849, at the age of 84. He now rests in Section 1, lot 275, at Oakwood Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group- and his family’s service is just one of many who stood together on the battlefield, willing to sacrifice in the name of freedom.

17/06/2026

The Widow’s Pension
In 1780, the Continental Congress passed the first act, which offered pensions to widows of commissioned officers who died in service. The amount varied by rank. However, many widows of enlisted men were left without support after their husbands passed.
On July 4, 1836, 53 years after the end of the war, Congress passed a broader law granting pensions to widows of any Revolutionary soldier who had served a minimum of six months. The process was far from simple. A widow had to submit a sworn declaration, prove her marriage, and provide supporting testimony. Pension officers scrutinized every claim, often questioning legitimacy, and remarriage nullified the benefit entirely.
Nancy Boardman’s story captures both the promise and the hardship of this system. Born Nancy Deming on December 11, 1762, to Mary Camp and Francis Deming, she married Sergeant Elijah Boardman on April 6, 1780. Elijah served with distinction through most of the war—answering the Lexington Alarm, fighting at the Siege of Boston in Captain Joel Clark’s company, and enduring the grueling expedition through Maine to Quebec under General Benedict Arnold.
After the war, the family moved, eventually settling in New York State.
Elijah died in 1814, 30 years before the new Pension Act of 1836 was enacted. Soon after the act took effect, Nancy sought a pension, but her first application was rejected in November 1841. Officials cited “no satisfactory proof of the date of the marriage.” Nancy reapplied, gathering letters from friends and family to support her claim and attest to her life with Elijah.
Nancy was granted a pension on December 2, 1845, at the age of 83. She passed away just three months later, on March 18, 1846. She rests in Section 4, Lot 17 at Evergreen Lawn Cemetery in Akron, NY, part of the Forest Lawn Group, and her application, which includes those valuable details of her life, is preserved among the pension files now housed at the National Archives.

16/06/2026

The “Prison Ship” of the American Revolution
Moored on the shores of what is now the Brooklyn Navy Yard was the HMS Jersey, once a 60-gun ship with 400 seamen, now a hulk stripped bare of all but its shell, it was converted into a floating prison during the American Revolution.
Crammed with 1,200 prisoners, the inmates called the horrific conditions “hell”. Held in a rat-infested lower deck with little light, minimal rations, and no place to dispose of human waste, the air below deck was thick, sour, and nearly impossible to breathe. Some men were too weak to stand and many too sick to move. The conditions were so poor that 6-12 people died each day from malnutrition, typhoid, smallpox, and yellow fever- their bodies dumped overboard.
One of the prisoners was Captain Ebenezer Johnson. Born on May 9, 1760, in New London, Connecticut, he was the fourth of six children of Joanna Palmeter and David Johnson. Ebenezer became a seaman at 13, served in Captain Ichabod Robinson’s company of militia, and was a privateer for most of the Revolution. He was taken prisoner and spent three months aboard the “Jersey” until he “negotiated” his release by threatening to blow up the ship after getting his hands on a flame and making his way to the powder magazine.
In all, more than 10,000 people died on the prison ships, more than twice the number of fatalities in all the land battles combined.
After the war, Captain Johnson married Deborah Lathrop in 1783, left the sea for the lands in Utica, then Cazenovia and Buffalo, NY, where he built a tavern known as “Johnson House” and raised several children, including the first Mayor of Buffalo.
Captain Ebenezer Johnson passed away on February 8, 1841, at age 81. He now rests in Section B2 at Lakeside Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group. As for the “Jersey”, it was burned shortly after the American Revolution ended in 1783.

15/06/2026

Lafayette and the Revolutionary Soldier of Forest Hill Cemetery

The fight for independence not only shaped our nation; for those who fought on the battlefield, it forged bonds of brotherhood that, despite great distance, survived a lifetime- like that of the French nobleman, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Rowland Cotton.

Rowland was born on March 22, 1759, in Pomfret, Connecticut, to Mary Dresser and Samuel Cotton. He was their third of twelve children. At just 17, he signed up to join Captain Stephen Brown’s company in the Connecticut regiment in December 1775. Cotton fought under George Washington at Harlem Heights, fought in the victories at Trenton and Princeton, and made it through the harsh winter at Valley Forge.

When his first service ended, Cotton kept fighting. After his reenlistment, he served under Colonel Alexander Hamilton in Lafayette’s division, took part in the battle at Monmouth, and marched to Yorktown. There, even though his regiment didn’t have ammunition, they bravely charged forward, and would go on to witness the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, and, in doing so, the birth of a new nation.

After the war, Lafayette returned to France, and Cotton returned to Connecticut, married Kezia Holt, raised a family, and then moved to Buffalo, NY.

But neither’s dedication to service stopped—Lafayette went on to fight in the French Revolution, and Cotton served as Captain and acting brigade quartermaster during the War of 1812, where Rowland was wounded in the knee during the Battle of Black Rock.

In 1824, Lafayette returned to the United States as a celebrated hero and reconnected with old friends and fellow soldiers—including Rowland Cotton. One can only imagine the stories they shared as they reminisced about the war, the sacrifices of their fellow men, and their pride in achieving independence.

Rowland Cotton eventually settled in Attica, NY, before passing away on June 11, 1847, at age 88. He now rests in Section N at Forest Hill Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group, with a stone that marks his service to our nation.

Cemeteries of Western New York

04/07/2026

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01/07/2026

29/06/2026

24/06/2026

22/06/2026

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