Cemeteries of Western New York

11/18/2025

National Apple Cider Day
Ah, fall. The air turns crisp, the ground softens, leaves crunch beneath our feet, and nearby, the warm scent of apple cider fills the air. For many Western New Yorkers, visiting a local orchard has become a fall tradition—but these orchards aren’t just seasonal attractions; they’re connected to the region’s earliest history, dating back to the early 1800s when settlers first arrived along the shores of Lake Erie.
Soon after those first plantings, mills began to appear, pressing apples into cider that helped families survive the winters.
Ideal conditions helped WNY become a major apple-growing region. The best apples were sold at market, others were stored for everyday use, and the rest were pressed into cider or vinegar and stored in barrels.
Michael K. Snyder, the namesake of Snyder, NY, built one of the area’s first Cider Mills. Born in Dauphin, Pennsylvania, in 1821, he was the second son of Veronica Schenck and Abraham Snyder. The family moved to Amherst in 1823 and settled in a log cabin.
When Michael was only 12 years old, his father died tragically, and he quickly took on adult responsibilities, working with his uncle at their mercantile shop in front of their Main St. home—located along a busy route toward Buffalo.
Michael married Catherine Halter in 1851, raised ten children, and became one of the community's best-known residents. Over time, along with the cider mill, he built a blacksmith shop, wagon works, and a rug shop. Michael also served as postmaster, Town Supervisor, and auctioneer.
Michael K. Snyder passed away on December 1, 1902, at age 82. He rests in Section D, row 1, at Williamsville Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.
And while Snyder’s mill no longer exists, the cider industry remains strong in our region. So today, have a glass of cider—warm, cold, spiced, or straight from the mill—and think about the early pioneers whose cider was both a drink to enjoy and a means of their survival; and remember Michael K. Snyder, whose dedication and spirit helped shape a community.

11/11/2025

Honoring Col. Spittler
This Veterans Day, we honor the life of Col. Donald “Duke” J. Spittler — a man whose life was defined by courage, service, and heart.
Born above his father’s general store on May 11, 1919, in Lakeview, NY, Duke was the youngest of five children. He spent his childhood ice fishing on Lake Erie, exploring 18 Mile Creek, and taking the train to high school in Lackawanna. In 1940, Spittler graduated from Cornell with a degree in wildlife biology and then enlisted in the army.
By 1944, Duke had been promoted to Battery Commander with the 99th Infantry, and in November that year, the unit was assigned to relieve soldiers in the Ardennes Forest. On December 16, shortly after their arrival, the inexperienced unit found itself at the center of a surprise attack by German forces —the last major German offensive, known as the Battle of the Bulge.
Confronted with freezing weather and continuous assaults, Duke recalled that they “lived in holes in the earth, almost always with wet feet and wet clothing.” The unit suffered heavy losses but held its position, preventing the Germans from crossing the Meuse River. Spittler was later wounded near the Danube and spent months in a French hospital after V-E Day.
Duke received the Bronze Star for meritorious service in “molding his battery into an effective fighting force… [and] his constant concern for the welfare of his troops, his aid to the wounded, and his friendly words of encouragement to the battle-weary, which enabled his men to carry on with renewed efforts against enemy forces."
In 1949, Duke married Anne Homen and they raised four children. He continued serving in the Army Reserve until retiring as a Colonel in 1975. He also dedicated himself to his community and worked for the NYSD of Conservation, restoring forests and creating habitats.
In 1986, Col. Spittler was inducted into the Army Artillery Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame.
Donald “Duke” J. Spittler died on August 30, 2010, at age 91, leaving a legacy of leadership and service to his country and community. He rests in Block G, lot 46, at Lakeside Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.

11/09/2025

The Berlin Wall and Martha Ast Schenne
November 9, 1989, is a remarkable moment in Berlin's history. It marks the first time in nearly 30 years that the borders between East and West Berlin were opened, symbolizing the end of the Cold War. People poured into the streets, laughing, crying, and even climbing the jagged concrete wall that had divided their lives for so long.
What once symbolized oppression was suddenly becoming a symbol of freedom, unity, and new beginnings.
Among those who came to witness this turning point was Martha Ast Schenne, who proudly brought her grandson to see history unfold before their eyes. For her, the fall of the Berlin Wall was more than a world event—it was personal.
Born in Wanne, Germany, on November 17, 1902, Martha had seen her homeland through immense change. She saw the early years of prosperity, endured the struggles of World War I, and faced the devastating hyperinflation that followed. By 1923, her town was under Belgian occupation, and the German Mark was nearly worthless and continuing to tumble.
Seeking a better life, Martha boarded the SS Yorck and sailed to America, arriving on August 31, 1923. That same year, her future husband, August (“Gus”) Schenne, made the journey too. They settled in Buffalo, married in 1924, and raised two sons.
The family moved to West Falls, NY, in 1941 after acquiring a local restaurant called “The Dog Bar,” where Martha worked until she was 92!
Though her heart found a home in America, part of it always stayed in Germany. She watched from afar as her homeland was divided again after World War II, followed by the overnight construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961. So, years later, Martha was “particularly happy” to stand alongside her grandson and witness both the physical act of seeing that wall come down and the emotions of freedom that followed.
Martha Ast Schenne passed away on March 15, 2000, at the age of 97. She rests in Section 3, lot 304 at Griffins Mills Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.

10/26/2025

200 Years on the Erie Canal and Forest Hill’s Man Who Helped Build It
It’s hard to imagine what a monumental feat it was to carve out the Erie Canal during the post-war era of the early 1800s, when much of Western New York was still pioneer country.
As one of America’s earliest civil engineering projects, many thought it was too ambitious. President Thomas Jefferson even called it “madness.”
Several laborers walked away. There were countless problems to solve, but innovative, determined men, driven to create a waterway connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie, faced them all.
And so it began, on July 4, 1817: 363 miles of back-breaking work with pickaxes, shovels, and explosives through forests, swamps, and solid rock. The work was dangerous. Men faced injury, drowning, and disease.
The excavation of the canal was divided into 1 or 2-mile sections, each bid out to private contractors. One of those men was Parmenio Adams.
As a construction contractor with experience laying out roads, Adams was responsible for managing finances, hiring and overseeing labor, and ordering supplies and equipment for his section of the waterway.
Parmenio was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on September 9, 1776, to Chloe Nearing and Parmenio Adams Sr. He married Eleanor Wells in 1795, and they had four children. In 1806, the family moved to Attica, NY, where he served his country during the War of 1812, rising to the rank of First Major in the New York Volunteers.
After leaving the army in 1816, Adams continued serving the public. He was elected Sheriff twice and later served in Congress. Parmenio passed away in 1832 at the age of 55. He rests in Section A, lot 3 at Forest Hill Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.
The Erie Canal opened for business on October 26, 1825... and today, on its bicentennial, we celebrate both its remarkable engineering feat and men like Parmenio Adams—whose contributions continue within the legacy of the Erie Canal.







Attica Landmark Preservation Society page https://www.facebook.com/p/Attica-Landmark-Preservation-Society-61561108773087/

Website: https://atticalandmarksociety.org

10/24/2025

The No-Hitter Pitcher from Lancaster Who Helped the “Miracle Braves” Reach the World Series
Imagine yourself- standing on the mound in front of 30,000 fans. Every pitch could push your team closer to the pennant- or crush your World Series dream.
That was the scene for George Allen “Iron” Davis on September 9, 1914, just one day after the Boston Braves defied all odds and rose from worst to first in their division.
In the first game of a doubleheader that day, the Braves fell to the Phillies, 7–1. For the second, manager George Stallings turned to a 24-year-old Harvard Law student from Lancaster, NY, to start. He called him his “secret weapon.”
That weapon was Davis. Now, “Iron” didn’t have the background you’d expect from a pro athlete. He hadn’t even played baseball until college, and because of law school, it was only his fourth game and his very first start of the season.
Born March 9, 1890, George was the son of NYS Senator George Davis Sr. and Lillie Grimes, who died of typhoid fever just after his tenth birthday.
Standing 5'11" and weighing 175 pounds, Davis, with no windup, used his sharp curveball and the spitball he’d been perfecting to keep hitters guessing.
In the 2nd inning, the Braves drove in two runs and added two more in the 4th. Davis shut down the Phillies early but walked the first three batters in the 5th before getting himself out of the jam with a strikeout and an inning-ending double play.
Davis went on to no-hit the Phillies – the first at Fenway Park, helping the “Miracle Braves” win the pennant and reach the World Series, where they swept the heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics- another first in MLB history!
George soon retired from baseball and practiced law with his father before teaching astronomy at the Buffalo Museum of Science.
George A. Davis Jr. passed away in 1961 at 71. He’s buried in Section A at Lancaster Rural Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group… a “Miracle Brave” forever cemented in the MLB history books.

10/18/2025

The Tree Stump Headstone at Griffins Mills
Nestled under the whispering trees of Griffins Mills Cemetery, there’s a stone that doesn’t quite look like the others… a headstone- carved from stone- resembling a tree stump… and it’s a quiet nod to the past.
Tree stones like this one are rooted in cemeteries all over the country — and internationally. But they started sprouting here in Western New York sometime around the 1850s.
Back then, these rustic markers often symbolized a life cut short, or a person’s trade, or way of life.
However, by the early 1880s, as the world and Buffalo became more urbanized, people began longing for something simpler. So, the elaborate Victorian styles fell out of fashion, and nature motifs became popular — on wallpaper, furniture, and even gravestones, all part of a cultural trend called the Rustic Movement.
One of those Rustic Movement stones belongs to the Ranney family.
Timothy Alonzo Ranney was a farmer, born in Oneida County on June 1st, 1811.
Mary Alma Packard was born in Aurora, NY on June 11th, 1818. They married in 1837, and together they raised five children on their farm.
Timothy passed in the summer of 1886, at 75 years old. Mary followed him five years later, at the age of 73.
Their tree stone stands quietly among the trees, their name etched where the bark peels back, and the stump, with its broken branches, serves as a gentle reminder of loss.
Popularity of tree stones dwindled in the 1930s, when styles again began to change.
Today, more than 130 years later, the roots of this stone remain strong – a tribute to both the Ranneys and a bygone era when people, amid industrial progress, found pleasure in the images of the natural world.
The stone can be found in the Old Section, Lot 99 of Griffins Mills Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.

09/11/2025

Today we pause to remember September 11, 2001.
A day that forever shaped our nation. We honor the lives lost, the courage of first responders, and the strength that carried us forward.

09/09/2025

Remembering the Attica Uprising: A Tribute to Correctional Officer William “Billy” Quinn
Over five days in September 1971, the Attica prison riot gripped the nation. By the end, 43 lives were lost—32 inmates and 11 correctional officers, including Officer William “Billy” Edward Quinn.
Born March 25, 1943, in Buffalo, New York, Billy was the middle child of Rose McMorrow and Albert Quinn. When Billy was just five, his father began working in food service at the Attica Correctional Facility- a maximum-security prison located about 30 miles east of Buffalo.
Billy graduated from Attica Central High School and, in 1965, married Nancy Willard. He began working as an attendant at West Seneca Development Center, where he cared for institutionalized patients with compassion and kindness, even going above and beyond to raise money to buy a wig for a patient with alopecia. But the emotional toll of that job became too great after a patient died in his arms.
So, Billy went to work with his father at the prison and served as volunteer president of the local fire department. His empathy carried over into his new role. Inmates and fellow officers alike respected him. One prisoner even called him a “guardian angel,” recalling how Billy ensured his safety from other inmates.
On September 9, 1971, Billy went to work—filling in for a colleague. He was assigned to “Times Square,” the central hub of the prison’s tunnels and gates. That morning, a fight erupted in one of the tunnels. As chaos spread, prisoners pushed through the gate where Billy stood. He was trapped and brutally beaten. As prisoners went on to overtake the prison, four inmates grabbed a mattress and carried Quinn to an admin building so he could be taken to the hospital.
Billy succumbed to his injuries two days later. He was just 28 years old—a devoted husband and father of two, with a third child on the way.
Today, we remember Officer Quinn not only as a victim of a national tragedy but as a man of bravery and deep humanity. He rests in Section X, Lot 14 at Forest Hill Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.

09/06/2025

Witnessing the Assassination of President McKinley
You never forget where you were when history changed. For Ervin A. Lapp, that moment came on September 6th, 1901, when he, like many others, was at the Pan-American Exposition in Delaware Park to catch a glimpse of President McKinley.
Ervin was inside the Temple of Music, which was bustling with visitors. Less than 20 yards away from the President, Lapp could see him mingling and shaking hands with the crowd. That’s when a man whose right hand was wrapped in a handkerchief stepped forward. His name was Leon Czolgosz. As the President reached out to shake his hand, Leon slapped it away and fired two shots into the President’s abdomen.
Chaos erupted. The crowd quickly tackled the man, and the police took Leon into custody.
That night, Lapp went to work at Barnes & Hengerer’s Department Store, which happened to be located behind the Pearl Street Police Station, where the suspect was being held. All night, Ervin could hear the angry crowd outside yelling, “Let’s lynch him!”
At 20, this moment in time stayed with Ervin for the rest of his life.
Born on March 24, 1881, in the village of Swormsville, Ervin was the youngest of five children. His parents, Louisa Schworm and Samuel Lapp, were both from prominent pioneer families.
In 1904, Ervin married Amelia Secrist and moved to Buffalo, where he opened a department store.
Over the years, Lapp wore many hats. He helped run the family hotel, became an auctioneer, served as one of the youngest postmasters in the country, and joined the Erie & Niagara County Farmers Insurance Association, which his father had helped found.
During both World Wars, Ervin worked with the Selective Service Board, helping disabled veterans receive the support they needed. He also served as Clerk of the Assembly in Albany, Supervisor for Buffalo’s 16th Ward, and later as Sergeant-at-Arms for City Council.
Ervin A. Lapp passed away on October 26, 1962, at the age of 81. He rests in Section 18, Lot 691, at Clarence Fillmore Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group.




#1901

08/22/2025

The Opening of Lakeside Cemetery
On August 22, 1896, a train carrying about 400 people departed from Buffalo’s Central Terminal, heading to Hamburg. Others arrived by carriage—but all came to celebrate the grand opening of Lakeside Cemetery.
Nestled less than a mile from the lakeshore and just nine miles from Buffalo’s City Hall, the 200+ acre cemetery was promoted as the “suburban sister” of Forest Lawn Cemetery.
As visitors stepped off the train, they could gaze out toward Lake Erie and see the Buffalo skyline in the distance.
A large tent had been set up for the occasion. There, the Hon. T.F. Bunting and others delivered speeches, explaining how the cemetery was born out of necessity. Buffalo was growing quickly, and there was a need for a modern burial space—just outside the city limits.
Lakeside was organized a year earlier, in July 1895, the vision of engineer Hon. Charles Crary, who also founded Woodlawn Cemetery in NYC. He wanted to create a peaceful and innovative resting place.
By October 1895, with Henry Koons elected as Lakeside's first president, construction was underway. Nearly 200 workers—engineers, surveyors, gardeners, and laborers—transformed the land into grave sections, winding roads, and a stone railway station.
That station was designed in the Romanesque style by George A. Pieker and overseen by L.C. Rudolf. It included a rotunda room for mourners and cost $7,500 to build, using boulders found on-site and locally.
As construction progressed, Lakeside quietly held its first burial on May 6, 1896. The deceased, Alvin Waite, a former U.S. Deputy Marshal, had passed on January 5th and was temporarily held in the Chapel Vault at Forest Lawn- a common practice at the time.
On February 12, 1998, Lakeside officially merged with Forest Lawn.
Today, while trains no longer stop at the cemetery, the building now serves as an office, and the care, preservation, and memory of all who rest there continue.

08/15/2025

08/13/2025

The Erie County Fair is in full swing, and we wanted to recognize someone who helped make it what it is today- John K. Lapp.
Now in its 185th year, the Erie County Fair has come a long way since its humble beginnings back in 1820 at the Donovan Building, when it was mainly an agricultural showcase of prized pigs, monster-sized veggies, and pie competitions.
Over the years, the fair moved from Buffalo to Lancaster and Springfield before settling in Hamburg, NY, in 1868, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that things really started to resemble the fair we know and love today.
These changes happened over the course of many years, comprised of board members who themselves had enjoyed going to the fair as children, including John K. Lapp.
Born in Clarence, NY, on March 30, 1876, to Hannah Bodine and Dr. Henry Lapp Sr., John came from a prominent local family. John earned a medical degree from the University of Michigan at his father’s urging—but never practiced. Instead, he followed his heart, breeding cattle.
In 1921, John helped found the Bank of Clarence and served as its president. He also served as Clarence’s Town Supervisor and was on the board of the Erie County Agricultural Society for over 20 years.
John served in various roles at the fair: superintendent, secretary, director, and president from 1947-1948. He deeply respected tradition but also recognized the need for the fair to adapt over time — adding the midway in 1924, electricity in 1928, and nightly fireworks — all of which helped the Erie County Fair become known as one of the finest in the country.
John K. Lapp passed away on April 2, 1950, at the age of 74. He’s buried in Section 22, lot 726 at Clarence Fillmore Cemetery, part of the Forest Lawn Group. But the legacy of his contributions at the fair continues to be part of “The Best 12 Days of Summer.”





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