On September 16, members of the Parma Hilton Historical Society presented an event to honor the historic Parma Sage-Knapp Cemetery, located on the Parma side of Parma-Clarkson Townline Road, just north of Peck Road. The Parma Hilton Historical Society and the Parma Public Library arranged the event, and 45 people attended.
Assistant Village of Hilton Historian Amanda Dudley researched many of the names of the individuals buried in the cemetery. For years, the cemetery, as well as five others in the Parma area, were long forgotten, overgrown with weeds and briars, and neglected. In 1976, during the Bicentennial of the United States, an effort was made to clean them up, but again, as years went by, stones fell over, and the weeds took hold. In 2006, Parma resident John Toal decided to restore this cemetery, and part of this event was to honor him for his research and work. John represented Hastings Bender, a prominent Rochester lawyer interred in the cemetery.
Amanda Dudley represented Nancy Sage Pier Hiler, once Parma’s oldest resident. She died in 1932 at age 100 and was the last to be buried in the cemetery before it ceased use. Others represented were a Revolutionary War veteran whose son, a veteran of the War of 1812, was buried next to him and his grandson, a veteran of the Civil War; a village blacksmith; another Civil War veteran; and other individuals of particular historical interest.
The intersection of Parma Clarkson Townline Road and Parma Center Road was once known as Knapp’s Corners.
There are six historic cemeteries in Parma, which the Historical Society’s efforts work to research, preserve, and educate for public appreciation.
The Sage-Knapp cemetery event was the third in a series of six. Next year’s event location will be forthcoming. Funds for these endeavors come from private donations to the Parma Hilton Historical Society’s Historic Parma Cemeteries account.
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