If graves could talk: Lumber Heritage Trail cemetery walk Sunday

Séan Henne of Fountain plays the part of Forest Butters, a lumberman whom the Buttersville Peninsula is named after.

LUDINGTON — The Ludington/Mason County Cultural Economic Development Task Force, in partnership with West Shore Community College’s Performing Arts, will be hosting a cemetery walk complete with live reenactments of Mason County’s Lumber Barons this Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m. The cemetery walk will begin at Lakeview Cemetery near the North Lakeshore Drive entrance.

Dr. Bill Anderson, who has led numerous cemetery walks in Mason County, will be taking attendees to 10 lumber baron gravesites at Lakeview Cemetery and Pere Marquette Cemetery. Actors, under the direction of Dr. Rick Plummer, will be providing live re-enactments of Mason County’s historic lumber barons.

“The characters from my little drama are all historical figures that have shaped our community and our lives today. The words they speak in the play are based on journals, newspaper accounts, and other original documents from their day” said Plummer.

Actors at Lakeview Cemetery include: John Gerts as Daniel W. Goodenough, Lisa Cooper as Mrs. May Baker, Mike Mikula as Luther H. Foster, Rick Plummer as Edward F. Stanchfield, Mike Nagle as Justus S. Stearns, Marcus Allen as Frederick J. Dowland, Margretta Dumas as Mrs. Sarah Culver, Topher Webb as William Rath, and Sean Henne as Horace U. Butters. At Pete Marquette Cemetery: Christine Plummer as Hannah Rock Gullenbrough, Michelle Kiessel as Mary Ann O’Brien Danaher, and Thomas Hawley as Antoine Cartier.

This event is free and open to the public