Dalton Shoemaker Cemetery

06/01/2026

06/01/2026

We are so happy as the monument placing is complete for our War of 1812 veteran, George Gardner. It has been a unbelievable journey but he finally has the recognition he deserves. Special "Thank You" to Parise Monument for setting this Monument for us!

05/25/2026

05/21/2026

2026 Updated Dalton Shoemaker Cemetery Veterans Listing

05/21/2026

2026 Dalton Shoemaker Cemetery Newsletter

05/01/2026

Well after 6 months & 4 forms filed, I finally have received the confirmation on George Gardner's War of 1812 military service from the Old Records Division at the National Archives & Records Administration! Now we can move forward in applying for a military marker for him. It would be wonderful to have his monument in place for our July 4th 2026 - 250th Anniversay Celebration, but I am doughtfull that will happen. However, I am grateful that he will have a well deserved veterans monument! I am continuing my quest to reset all of our veterans monuments that have fallen. Broken monuments, I will apply for military monument replacement.

George Gardner from Luzerne County served as a Private under Capt. Joseph Camp's Company, 45th Pennsylvania Militia (Montgomery's Regiment)commanded by Col. James Montgomery, from November 3rd to November 24th 1814. A bounty land application confirms George Gardner (Montgomery Regiment) dated March 1855 in the records of the Department Of Veterans Affairs, indicated he resided in Abington, Luzerne County.

01/10/2026

Today, we embark on listing our Civil War Veterans, commencing with Jeremiah Smith. The monuments of Jeremiah and his wife Catherine (Green) have been restored. Jeremiah, born in 1829 in Abington, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, died on March 25, 1865 (35 years old) in Dalton, Pennsylvania. He was the offspring of Thomas T. and Mary Polly (Northup) Smith of North Kingston, Rhode Island. Jeremiah served as a Private in the 143rd Regiment, Company B, in 1862. His final resting place is in Lot #30, Section A of Dalton Shoemaker Cemetery, where his brother Thomas Smith and other Smith family members are also buried. We pay tribute to the sacrifices of all veterans and wish eternal peace to those who have passed on.

01/10/2026

Taking advantage of this nice weather for a little cemetery cleanup & wall repair!

01/08/2026

UPDATE! In September 2025 I posted an article on our veteran George Gardner. In an effort to repair or replace our veterans graves at Dalton Shoemaker Cemetery, I was informed that I had to verify his military service before filing for his monument replacement. I met with Tim Booth of the Lackawanna County Veterans Affairs at our cemetery back in October in reference to this issue. November 2025, I filed a form with the US National Archives & Records Administration to verify George Gardner's military service. It can take up to 3 months for a reply. The War of 1812 records are very old & limited. Once his military service is confirmed we can move forward to filing for his military monument replacement. This is a very slow process, but I am not giving up!

12/31/2025

Wishing everyone a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2026!