Planning a trip to Cortland? Check out our video for Visitors and Tourism -- The Cortland Rural Cemetery is an interesting destination for visitors to Cortland, NY -- given our natural beauty, hiker-friendly "cemetrails", history, and even cultural events. The video at right -- themed "Memorializing the Deceased. Celebrating Life."-- features footage from the cemetery and interviews. (The production was funded by Cortland County, with help from the Cortland County Convention & Visitors Bureau. It was produced by Cortland, NY-based videographer Max Hoeschele.)
CRC Supervisor Jeff Briggs' November 8, 2017 Presentation to CCHS -- If you are interested in Cortland's history, you will enjoy this presentation our one-time cemetery supervisor, Jeff Briggs, gave to the Cortland County Historical Society in 2017. Here, Jeff touches on how the cemetery operates, how we have innovated to improve our finances, some notable burials, and more! (Many thanks to Sharon Stevans for recording this!)
We were happy to welcome the Espressivo flute quartet on November 21, 2015 -- as the first of our Songs in the Cemetery series. (At right, please enjoy a couple excerpts from the evening!) (Members of Espressivo include, from left, Maria R Mucaria, Jeanine Rose, Terry P Mingle, and Jane Hunter.)
Syracuse.com interview with our Board President, John Hoeschele, on our strategy of raising awareness and financial support of the CRC. (This interview was conducted by Glenn Coin, who also wrote a great article on us too.) Have a look!
TEDx Cortland: Re-imagining Cemeteries as Places for the Living Originally published on Dec 11, 2013
John Hoeschele's "strange and unexpected" interest in old cemeteries led him to join and become president of the Cortland Rural Cemetery Board of Trustees, where he is currently exploring innovative ways to tackle that historic cemetery's many financial and operational challenges. Hoeschele has lived in Cortland since 1988 (with his wife, Lisa, and their two children, Max and Margaret). Originally from Rochester, NY, Hoeschele is a marketing executive at Syracuse-based Anaren, Inc. Hoeschele has headed up the creative departments at several CNY ad agencies; was a partner in an industrial dot com; ran his own company in Cortland for six years (Drum Creative Corp.); and is an active contributor to Cortland's non-profit organizations, including past membership in the noon Rotary Club and Downtown Business Association, and Cortland Rural Cemetery Foundation -- and past chairmanship of the Lime Hollow Nature Center board. John Hoeschele spoke at the first ever TEDxCortland, held November 9th, 2013, at Greek Peak Mountain Resort.
2014 Cemetery Sweep-Out Day
A few photos from the Cortland Rural Cemetery's 2014 (2nd annual) Cemetery Sweep-out Day, wherein members of the local and college community donate their time tidying up our 44-acre, non-profit cemetery for the mowing season and for the benefit of all. Thanks to all who helped out!
Tioughnioga River Anthology
This a a recording of the Cortland Rural Cemetery's Sept. 27, 2014 production of Bill Whiting's Bill Whiting’s Tioughnioga River Anthology — featuring monologues from Cortland County’s famous and not-so-famous deceased citizens! The production took place in a tent on cemetery grounds and was the first-ever theatrical performance at the cemetery, as part of the Board's strategic vision of raising awareness of this historic rural cemetery. The play was performed by The Trope Troupe (of the United Presbyterian Church) and Cortland High Theatre and directed by Benjamin Wells and Scott Gay.
Headstone Righting Project -- summer 2013
Cortland, NY -- In this video/slideshow, Cortland Rural Cemetery Board of Trustees president, John Hoeschele, recaps the summer 2013 completion of a headstone-righting project conducted by the CRC's staff -- with invaluable support from members of the City of Cortland's Wastewater Treatment Plant. The headstones in question were down not as a result of vandalism -- but, rather, through natural processes seen in cemeteries throughout the Northeast (eg: frost cycle, ice formation, woodchucks digging around foundations, etc.)
Call for community support: Green-waste mgt system
Cortland, NY -- In this video, Cortland Rural Cemetery Board of Trustees President, John Hoeschele, describes the July, 2013 clean out of the backyard of the CRCs 9 Sands Street property in preparation for the cemetery's future waste-management initiative. Invaluable support was provided by the City of Cortland Department of Public Works.
Call for community support: Save the Slate campaign
Cortland, NY -- Cortland Rural Cemetery Board of Trustees President, John Hoeschele, speaks about the cemetery's 2013 "Save the Slate!" fundraising campaign aimed at raising financial support to replace the copper systems on the cemetery's historic office/garage and Superintendent's house -- both of which were designed by Carl W. Clark and erected in 1928.
Call for community support: War with Woodchucks
Cortland, NY -- Cortland Rural Cemetery Board of Trustees President, John Hoeschele, speaks about the cemetery's ongoing battle with woodchuck damage...and appeals for community support/ideas to keep the creatures in check.
Call for community support: Water system issues
Cortland, NY -- Cortland Rural Cemetery Board of Trustees President, John Hoeschele, speaks about the cemetery's aging water system (for watering cemetery plantings, visitors' flowers, etc.)...and appeals for community support/ideas to improve the system (potentially with an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative to running and repairing new lines).