Beloved Old Cannon Still Honors Veterans at Cemetery: The Last Word

It’s Veteran’s Day. I could go to a lot of places in Erie County to find people or things that pay tribute to our veterans. But, I decided to come to Hope Cemetery on the border of Elk Creek Township and Cranesville. I want to do a story on "Old George."

“Old George” is a beloved cannon that is proudly displayed at the cemetery. The cannon was active during the Spanish-American War.  It was brought to Cranesville in 1920 by a man named George Baird. The old gentleman was a member of an organization that wanted to honor local soldiers like himself, who fought in the Civil War.

Judie Rosecky is a member of the Hope Cemetery Association: She conducted research on Baird, his organization, and the cannon.

"It was a GAR group, sort of like the VFW or American Legion. So they brought it here and they wanted to use it for a memorial,” she says.

“Old George” sat proudly inside Hope Cemetery for decades. Unfortunately, the cannon became weather-worn and deteriorated. In 2004, the cemetery association took it away and placed in in storage.

"They were trying to keep it nice,” says Judie. “But age, you know. Just like people,” she says with a laugh.

Judie says the cannon was never forgotten after it was taken away.  People kept asking her about it.  She did not know where it was being kept.  In 2013, she and her husband decided not just to find it, but to restore it.

"We found it,” she says. “My husband decided it was coming home with us. After about a month we brought it home and started working on it."

The cannon needed a lot of work. However, the Rosecky's found some heroes. Members of the Albion VFW post told the couple that they would pay for everything. $1200 for new wheels. $1800 to cut down trees to make way for a pavilion. They paid for the pavilion. “Old George” was returned to his home at Hope Cemetery in October 2013.

"It's very important to our community. It's a landmark for us,” says Judie.

 “Old George” now honors all veterans who are buried at Hope Cemetery. Over 400 vets are buried here. Some from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and every war up to the Vietnam Era. It was Judie who named the cannon "Old George." She does not know why she chose that name. She says it just seems to fit and the name just stuck.

The cemetery is located on Meadville Street on the south end of Cranesville. If you would like to take a visit, the cannon is visible even though it has a clear plastic tarp over it for the winter.