ROCKLAND — Rockland based Lady Knox Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, under the leadership of Regent, Suzanne Shaub of Union, is expanding their Veterans Grave Marking Project at Tolman Cemetery. The next step in the grave marking efforts will be to include veterans of the War of 1812 who are buried at the cemetery, located near Lake Chickawaukee in Rockland.

Lady Knox is seeking assistance from the community in identifying which of the persons interred served American forces during the War of 1812.

With the help of the Rockland Historical Society, there are 13 names identified to date. It is believed there are other veterans of this war buried at Tolman.

Soldiers' graves known to be at the cemetery are: Phillip Achorn, Benjamin Blackington, Asa Brewster, Benjamin Brewster, William Brown, Josiah Ingraham, Jacob Keen, Dr. Enoch Lovejoy, John Manning, Sylvester Manning, John Spear, Charles Spofford, and Martin Ulmer.

Those veterans' graves have been photographed and are on the website FindAGrave. Next will be to add GPS coordinates, and place a War of 1812 flag holder, so the soldiers can be honored with flags on Veterans Day and Memorial Day.

Donations are being accepted to help defray the cost of flag holders with the War of 1812 designation.

The Lady Knox Tolman Cemetery Project began when local citizen, F. Carl Mahoney, contacted the DAR regarding missing bronze veterans flag holders at the cemetery.

The entrance of the Cemetery is marked with a large granite stone and bronze plaque placed there by the Maine State Organization of the Daughters of the American Revolution on July 25, 1947. The plaque lists 21 Revolutionary War Veterans interred in the Cemetery, including three Tolmans. Mahoney noticed that many of the bronze flag holders at individual graves had been removed, most likely stolen due to the value of the bronze.

Mahoney contacted Suzanne Shaub and the two embarked on the task of replacing the flag holders next to Revolutionary War soldiers' graves. This was accomplished with the assistance of Lady Knox Chapter members and monetary donations. To deter removal of the new markers, the Chapter purchased those that constructed of hard plastic.

On Sunday, Nov. 9, Mahoney, four officers, and two members of the Lady Knox Chapter DAR placed the new flag holders and American flags at each Revolutionary War Veteran's grave, then photographed the graves and checked their GPS coordinates.

Mahoney has added photographs of each grave stone, with imbedded GPS coordinates, to the FindAGrave website. While at the cemetery, the group did some post-storm clean up and made a general survey of the condition of the headstones, many of which are becoming illegible, or are broken or falling over.

Some stones are missing or only a small boulder marks where the original stone once stood. Timely efforts to locate and mark veterans' graves are critical while the grave sites can still be discerned.

From research by Maine Old Cemetery Association, the Chapter has identified two Revolutionary War patriots interred at Tolman, but not on the 1947 plaque. Those graves received flag holders and were marked and photographed with the others.

Anyone with information about Revolutionary War service of people interred in Tolman Cemetery and not included on the 1947 plaque, are encouraged to contact the DAR.

The Chapter also seeks details about War of 1812 Veterans. Inquiries can be directed to Suzanne Shaub, Lady Knox Chapter DAR Regent at PO Box 415, Union, ME 04862.

Donations for the Chapter's cemetery project can be made to Lady Knox Chapter DAR and sent to Treasurer Anne Maurais, 1044 Finntown Road, Warren, ME 04864.