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Headstone of Hannah Eastman Fitzgerald located in Riverside Cemetery, Section 61-T, Oswego, NY.
Riverside Cemetery, listed on the National Register, is an excellent example of the "rural cemetery movement" of the mid 19th century." It was designed as part of a movement aimed at making final resting places more pastoral. The cemetery is of special interest to Fitzgeralds not because it is on the National Register but because it contains a Fitzgerald family plot. Even with a map it is difficult to locate the Fitzgerald family's graves. Except the grave of Hannah Eastman Fitzgerald, none of the Fitzgerald graves in Riverside Cemetery are marked. It is unknown whether the graves were originally marked, but today all that remains is a substantial granite stone marking the grave of "Hannah."
Prior to the July 1855 opening of Riverside Fitzgerald family members were buried in what was known as the "4th Ward Cemetery” located within Oswego’s city limits. When the City decided in the late 1880's that the 4th Ward Cemetery land could be put to better use by erecting a school on it, all of the existing graves were removed to Riverside Cemetery. Because the Fitzgerald family members had been buried for many years (and were in a state of advanced decomposition) all of their remains were placed in a single casket for communal reburial. Those who were re-buried in Section 61-T at Riverside Cemetery on March 30, 1889 are: Chellis E. C. Fitzgerald (d: 28 June 1846), George Fitzgerald (d: 06 January 1850), Samuel Fitzgerald (Hannah's husband) (d: 09 February 1845)and son, Samuel Fitzgerald (d: after 1860)
In addition to the above family members, Hannah is surrounded by her two remaining sons - Albert (d: 16 May 1901) and Alpheus (07 January 1907); Albert's wife, Bedelia (d: 12 July 1906); and great grandson, Edward (grandson of Alpheus, son of Edward).
Photographed by Cheri Wilkinson, October 1996
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