FORTY FORT, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Wyoming Valley cemetery has its hands full with dozens of headstones that have been missing for decades.
They were discovered just days ago after they disappeared during the 1972 Agnes Flood.
35-to-40 headstones laid scattered near Abrahams Creek bank in Forty Fort. Those headstones were not originally in that spot.
"We're going to do our best to welcome them home," said Forty Fort Cemetery Association Board President Andy Tuzinski.
That home is Forty Fort Cemetery and Tuzinski and other board members now must determine what to do with these tombstones.
They were washed away in the 1972 Agnes Flood. For all this time, no one realized that they were only a football field away from the cemetery.
A construction crew discovered them on November 14 while working on the creek restoration project.
"G Perry, sweet age, 7 months. Died in 1936 so he was 90 years old," Tuzinski explained.
The headstones are dedicated to various ages of people who passed away.
"We have another person who is also a president of Wyoming Seminary," Tuzinski added.
Among them are prominent officials, veterans, and others very important to the area.
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"A lot of names there that we are finding if you drive any of the streets of the west side of the Wyoming Valley you would see Atherton, Spraig, Smith, Shoemaker," Tuzinski continued.
Tuzinski says the cemetery association is researching the headstones.
They are trying to find out if there are any surviving family members who would like to take possession of them.
The rest that remain will be properly put on display in the forty fort cemetery.
"And it's not something we are going to be able to do overnight but we are committed to doing what's right," Tuzinski stated.
The headstones are considered to be overall in good condition.
But what is yet to be discovered is exactly how they got to where they did.
Tuzinski says it is hard to tell but he believes they were either washed up there or more likely placed there.
"It was controlled chaos back then. The idea was to get the levy behind me back up and running and doing its intended purpose and I'm sure they did what they had to do to make things safe," said Tuzinski.
This headstone is a memorial, honor, and dedication to what was lost from the flood. The headstones discovered on Thursday are a reminder of what's still here.
"This is sort of, of a way of history coming full circle so we are going to do what we can to do what's right," Tuzinski said.
Tuzinski encourages anyone to reach out to the Cemetery Association who was involved with the levee remediation or flood cleanup process.
It could help shed some light on where the headstones originated.
Tuzinski says 1,900 remains and graves were discovered from 2,500 that the flood unearthed.
