Two of the largest cemeteries in Greenfield are the Green River and Calvary located on Wisdom Way across from the Fairgrounds.
Further down Wisdom Way is the Mater Dolorosa — one on the north side and west side of the street. Many of the parishioners of the Sacred Heart Church, a Catholic one, on Deerfield Street were buried there. That church was closed several years ago.
The Jewish cemetery is located on Log Plain Road off Bernardston Road.
One of the oldest ones is the Log Plain Road Cemetery on Bernardston Road. There are families that are in that one that date back in the 1750s and beyond from the very early wars that America was involved with. Several years ago, the technical students installed and painted a new white wooden fence surrounding that one.
The High Street Cemetery on the corner of High and Silver streets has some very old monuments close to Silver Street. Slate, a form of stone, were used to make them during that timeframe. Many cemeteries have slate markers that can still be read. They are black in color. William B. Allen, former superintendent of streets for Greenfield and a classmate of mine, managed that one for many years.
Out in Greenfield Meadows there are at least two cemeteries, one very old across from the entrance to Greenfield Community College and farther north one called the North Meadow. The Smead family had a lot to do with this one. Many people who lived in that area chose that cemetery because it was close to where they lived.
Going back to the Green River one, as you enter its grounds there is a beautiful stone chapel that can and was used for services in the past. Many of my closest relatives and friends are buried in different locations throughout its grounds. Whitman Wells, I think, was in charge of that one for many years. A large greenhouse was there for him to grow and take care of flowers. My brother, Edward, was the treasurer of the Green River Cemetery Association for several years before his passing.
The Federal Street one is close by to the center of Greenfield and has many leading citizens buried there.
It is possible that I may have forgotten some isolated one somewhere in Greenfield, but I hope not.
I have talked about the most used ones. This story is basically to let people know where they are.
Robert Bitzer, who lives in Erving, is a frequent contributor to the Recorder.