Dean Allen Retirement - May 2003

ean Allen Looks Back As He Retires From Cemetery Board

Dean Allen is a long-time resident of the former Thessalon Township area and has served his family and community well. Recently he retired from Town and Township of Thessalon Cemetery Board.

The suggestion of a need to acknowledge Mr. Allen for his service to the area was felt worthy of a story.

The Sentinel asked Mr. Allen if he could answer a few questions about his work on the cemetery board and, in his characteristically gracious manner, he obliged with a bit of history about cemeteries in the area.

By Dean Allen

In 1911, the Presbyterian Ladies Aid started the cemetery for the Livingstone Creek Church which was built by the Methodists in 1897. It later became the United Church in 1925.

Mr. Thomas Cordukes donated the land for the cemetery. (He was the grandfather of Jeannine, now married to Raymond Goodmurphy.) Plots at that time sold for $6.00.

In 1955, two more acres were purchased from Mr. John Cordukes for $108.

In January 1963, Livingstone United Church closed. At a meeting of the cemetery board in 1965, the trustees appointed were Harvey Gavin, Don McLean, Ray Elliot, Ray Allen, Dean Allen, Tom McLennan, and Ted McCrea. Goldie McCrea was secretary-treasurer.

In 1975, the board of trustees decided to turn the cemetery over to the Town of Thessalon and Thessalon Township Cemetery Board. The money on hand was also turned over.

Mr. Keith Beggs, who was on the new cemetery board, at that time was instrumental in having this money used to start a perpetual care fund for the cemeteries.

I had purchased a family plot in 1974 - price $25.00. I was elected for councillor in Thessalon Township in January 1975 to December 1994.1 continued on as trustee on the new cemetery board. Wilfred St. John and Art Hogan were trustees at that time.

I retired from the board in December of 2002.

Dean Allen enjoys a reputation locally as a fine stonemason and poses here with a cairn he built to honour the contributions of the late James E. MacDonald, area author and historian, who developed the Little Rapids Heritage Museum.