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CUMBERLAND, Md. — The Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization was recognized for its 40th anniversary at Thursday’s Allegany County commissioners meeting.

Ed Taylor Jr., president of the organization, said the group has built roughly 900 monuments valued at more than $5.5 million, roughly 90% of which has come from the private sector over the past 40 years.

He thanked county officials for their support, and praised the organization’s volunteers for their help including to mow grass in cemeteries over the years.

“Monuments are more than just a tribute to the great men and women of our country in the past,” Taylor said of the markers that tell stories of history for future generations to read.

“To date we have monuments literally in almost every cemetery in Allegany County,” he said.

Monuments are also permanent, Taylor said.

“Programs come and go, buildings come and go, but gravestones are supposed to stay there until the end of all time,” he said.

Taylor said the organization in 1991 became a charter member of the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites.

“Maryland does have the best cemetery laws,” he said.

The commissioners proclaimed Feb. 23 Cumberland Historic Cemetery Organization Day.

Taylor said folks can learn more about the organization at its website chco.info.

Audrey Myrtle Bagby
March 19, 1937–January 17, 2023

Audrey was the daughter of Leo and Elva C. (Griffith) Schmidt and granddaughter of Franklin M. and
Emily (Griffith) Griffith.

A native of Anne Arundel County, Audrey had deep roots in Anne Arundel County. She was an early
member of the Coalition to Protect Maryland Burial Sites and received their Periwinkle Award in 2006.
She was an early member of the Anne Arundel Genealogical Society and was President (1996-1998) at
which time the she was instrumental in organizing the society’s 25 th two-day anniversary event. Audrey
accompanied Tina Simmons around the county documenting cemeteries and transcribing tombstone
inscriptions.

Audrey had a lifelong interest in art. Early in life she took art classes Maryland Institute College of Art
(MICA) in Baltimore and later in life at the Senior Center in Pasadena. She drew the angel shown on the
front of the two volumes of Cedar Hill cemetery books which she co-authored.

After suffering a stroke in 2021, Audrey moved to Delaware to live with her daughter. She continued to
research obituaries and articles for the genealogy society while living there.

Audrey was preceded in death by her sister, Leona “Lee” Elva Espegren in 2006 and her husband, Jack
Deneen Bagby in 2021. She is survived by a daughter, brother, grandchildren, and various nieces and
nephews.

By Angela Roberts aroberts@newspost.com |  Oct 25, 2022

Until about a century ago, some of the land where Frederick Health Hospital stands today — along West Seventh Street in downtown Frederick — served as the final resting place of more than 900 people of color.

Greenmount Cemetery, established in the late 1800s, was once one of three graveyards where people of color could be buried in Frederick. But in 1920, the grounds were sold to what is now known as Frederick Health Hospital.

A few years later, hundreds of graves were moved to Fairview Cemetery, a graveyard purchased in 1923 by a committee of local African Americans, according to previous reporting from The Frederick News-Post.