Parker Cemetery dwellers rose in grand form to tell their stories at the Parker Area Historical Society annual Cemetery Walk, September 24.

Among the ghosts of time past were Frank Kime, rancher, master mechanic and tank commander under George W. Patton in World War 11, played by Stevan Strain, who was a friend of Kime's when he was a regular visitor at the Warhorse Restaurant; David Shaughnessy, Union soldier at the bloody battle of Antietam and Parker rancher, impersonated by Parker Players member, Mark Como; Rose and Carl Stroh, local ranchers whose house exploded and was rebuilt, enacted by Marjorie Oliver, retired school teacher, and Mike Nickerson, minister of United Methodist Church; Elizabeth Tallman, whose newspaper articles immortalized experiences of Parker pioneers, portrayed by Marjorie Meyerle, retired school teacher; and James Sample Parker, enacted by established impersonator, historian and former minister, Bill Mattocks.

Of particular assistance in the tour was Parker historian, Ben Priest, who regaled the waiting groups with historical anecdotes of life in early Parker.

Parker Area Historical Society members ushered the groups from the waiting station manned by Ben Priest to all five cemetery sites occupied by the spirits. This year's chairman of the event was Mike Mulligan, vice-president of the Parker Area Historical Society. Assisting him in the planning of the event was Nancy Gripman, who originally conceived of the idea for a Parker Cemetery walk five years ago. Nancy Murphy coordinated the guides and various other members assisted in preparing and cleaning up the site afterwards.

The event will occur again next year, so if you missed it this year, look for it again in late September of 2007.