Photo front row left to right:
Phyllis Carter, JDC first vice regent; Dana Lasley; Raymond Evans; Nancy Diwan; Barbara Chandler, superintendent Forest Hills Cemetery; Katrina Biancofiore; Jan Owens Perry, Judge David Campbell Chapter Regent; Sherrill Cook; Gay Moore.
Back row left to right:
Nancy Patterson, JDC historian; Sally Michaud, JDC treasurer; Bettie Purcell, JDC registrar; Diane Human; Linda Mines; Sharon Finnell; Terry Beltramo; David Scott; Rosetta Johnson; Sandy Moore; Bill Ballenger.
The Judge David Campbell Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, presented the DAR Historic Preservation Recognition Award to Barbara Chandler, superintendent of Forest Hills Cemetery, and to the Forest Hills History Stroll Volunteers. The award was presented after their Seventh Annual History Stroll on Saturday, Oct. 25. These volunteers were recognized for their active preservation of the history of the people of Chattanooga and the surrounding area by honoring those who are interred in the cemetery as well as for the preservation of the cemetery itself.
Since its founding in 1880, more than 45,000 people have been buried in beautiful Forest Hills Cemetery, located at the foot of Lookout Mountain in St. Elmo. These people include many of the city’s founding fathers, Civil War and subsequent war veterans, entertainers, businessmen, industrialists, children from the Vine Street Orphanage, policemen and firemen killed in the line of duty, and so many others.
The History Stroll, held each fall for the past seven years, celebrates the lives of those whose final resting place is Forest Hills. Volunteers dressed in period costumes portray some of the fascinating Chattanoogans and tell their stories. The most famous and colorful characters, as well as lesser-known individuals, are portrayed, bringing history to life and preserving it for future generations. These same volunteers also participate in on-site history lessons when local schools bring their history classes to the cemetery at different times during the year.
The Judge David Campbell Chapter believes that a group such as the History Stroll Volunteers who work so hard to maintain the cemetery’s beauty and history richly deserves the prestigious DAR Historic Preservation Recognition Award.