The Southern Memorial Association is excited to announce the grand opening and dedication of the new “Comfort House” on the grounds of Old City Cemetery. The Comfort House is the first new building constructed at the Cemetery since the Bicentennial Chapel was completed in 2006.
Over 115 people attended the dedication Sunday, November 13, 2016. Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster and City Manager Bonnie Svrcek were in attendance, along with other Council members, City officials, and SMA board members.
The Comfort House is a small, two-story building located beside the Chapel, along the Cemetery’s main driveway. It provides a private parlor, outdoor terrace, and restroom facilities for the many weddings, funerals, theatrical performances, school tours, and other events now held in and near the Chapel.
Over 180 generous individuals and businesses contributed to the Comfort House (see below). The cost of the entire project was $375,000, all of which was raised from private sector (non-government) sources, including local citizens, foundation grants, and in-kind contributions. Now that the building is completed, it will become City property, maintained by the Lynchburg Department of Public Works in partnership with SMA.
The Comfort House was the signature sesquicentennial project of the Southern Memorial Association, in celebration of its 150th year at Old City Cemetery. SMA is the local non-profit organization that operates Old City Cemetery on behalf of the City of Lynchburg.
SMA is very grateful to all of the donors, both financial and in-kind, who made the Comfort House possible:
CORPORATE AND NON-PROFIT DONORS
$30,000
The Andrew Horsley Easley and Anne Owen Easley Charitable Trust
$20,000
Bank of The James In Honor of Jane White
$10,000–19,999
Greater Lynchburg Community Trust
N. B. Handy
$5,000–9,999
Genworth Foundation
Lynchburg Ready Mix In Memory of Duval Holt
Master Engineers and Designers
$2,500–4,999
Appalachian Power
Automated Conveyor Systems
Centra
Wiley|Wilson In Memory of Phillip C. Harris
$1,000–2,499
Campbell Insurance
Capps Shoe Company, Inc.
Gentry Locke Attorneys
Lynchburg Historical Foundation, Inc.
Peery Family Dentistry
Tree Stewards of Greater Lynchburg In Honor of Tom Burford
$250–499
Community Funeral Home
Estates & Consignments
Lightsmith
Wells Fargo Advisors
$100–249
Charley’s Restaurant
Lynchburg Restoration, Inc.
Tharp Funeral Home and Crematory
To $99
Kirkwood Otey Chapter No. 10, United Daughters of the Confederacy
JANE BABER WHITE TERRACE DONORS
Bank of The James
Sara Thomas Candler
Trudy and Jimmy Davidson
Jane and William Davis
Ted Delaney and Troy Deacon
Ann and Rodger Fauber
Frances and Don Giles
Leigh and Billy Giles
Susan and Ed Hunt
Anne and Bruton Langley
Catherine W. Lynn and Vincent Scully
Gena White O’Keefe
Ellen and David Petty
Rosel and Elliot Schewel
Mary Norvell Thomson
Charlie White
Ken White
Spence White
Mina and Robin Wood
Marty and Jim Wright
Nancy and Bill Young
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
$60,000
Anonymous
$25,000
Bruce and Spas Christian
In Honor of Jessica Bemis Ward and Her Cookbooks Food to Die For and Food to Live For
$5,000–9,999
Rita Christian
Ann Marie and Steve Myers In Memory of Walter and Louise Freeman
Marycatherine and Gary Savage
Rachel Shenigo In Memory of Michael G. Shenigo
Kay and Kent Van Allen In Honor of Bruce Christian
Jane and Ken White
$2,500–4,999
Ted Delaney and Troy Deacon
Catherine and Michael Madden
Nancy and Bill Young
$1,000–2,499
Carolyn Wilkerson Bell In Honor of Jane White
Betty F. Brown
Michael Christian
Arlene Cundiff
Thomas J. Delaney In Honor of Ted Delaney
Cham and Edie Light
Claudia and Tulane Patterson
In Memory of Helen Terrell Jordan, Annette Terrell Jones, and Helen Carrington McVeigh,
and in Honor of Mary Riely Pettyjohn
Harriet and George Ramsey In Honor of Jane White
Marc A. Schewel In Honor of Jane and Ken White
Peggy and Wayne Schwartz
Jane Sydnor In Memory of J. Brantley Sydnor, M.D.
Francis Teague, Jr., M.D. In Memory of Peggy Teague
Margi and Rob Vaughn In Honor of Tom Burford
Sandra and Ted Weigand In Honor of Jane White, Bruce Christian, and Ted Delaney
Jessica B. Ward In Honor of Nancy Young
Rebecca B. Young, M.D. In Memory of William C. Young
Anonymous In Honor of Jane White
$500–999
Bettye T. Chambers In Honor of Jane White
Benjamin Cowgill
Marjorie and Leighton Houck
$250–499
Mr. and Mrs. James Alexander
Rev. John A. Ball
David and Kathy Firth
Claudia Hamblen
Gaynelle Hart
C.J. and Judy Hindman In Honor of Dolly Pugh
Nancy B. Hunter In Honor of Rachel Shenigo
Gail and Paul Mudrick In Honor of Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Laughon
Becky and Bobby O’Brian
Andrew and Sydnor Smalera In Honor of Bill and Dolly Pugh
Martha and Charles Sumpter In Memory of Their Parents
Judge and Mrs. Paul Whitehead, Jr.
Marty and Jim Wright In Honor of Margi Vaughn and Nancy Young
$100–249
Karen Bracco In Honor of Robert K. and Betty P. Pearson
Cynthia D. Coles In Memory of John and Lucy Daniels
Dee Doyle
John and Jill Fees
Rosie and Jerry Hampton In Memory of Thelma Tuck Phlegar and
Virginia Speight Hampton
Pamela Hanse In Memory of Sashabel Hanse
John H. Hoskins II
Elaine Jackson
Amy Jones
Meg and Rodney Laughon
DuBois Miller
Barbara Murrell In Honor of Ted Delaney and Bruce Christian
Robert and Betty Pearson
Mr. and Mrs. R. G. Porter
Dolly and Bill Pugh In Memory of Charley Hurt
Sally and Jeff Schneider
Nancy W. Sehn In Memory of Pete Warren
Kevin E. Shroyer In Memory of Korinne Ashley Shroyer
Rebecca Spetz
Donald and Fay St. John
Wayne Trent
Marie Waller
Patty and Chris Webb
To $99
Mary Douglass Boldrick
Sue Breeding
Joan Logan Brooks
C. S. Bowling In Honor of Ann Marie Myers
Nancy Williams Cassidy In Memory of Frank “Hop” Cassidy
Hal and Doris Craddock In Honor of Jane White
George and Rosemary Dawson
Don Doebler In Honor of Laura Doebler
Dr. and Mrs. Charles Driscoll
James M. Elson In Memory of Sue Porter Elson
Walter Erwin
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Fielding
Hermina W. Hendricks In Honor of Jane White
Elizabeth Hooss
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Jennings In Honor of Ann Marie Myers
Joan Jones
John C. Kolbe
Becki Lawman
Mary M. Lee
Dean and Cheryl Lindeman
Nancy B. Marion
Hope McRorie
Randy Nelson In Honor of Jane White and Jessica Ward
Janice and Reg Puckett
Katherine T. Reedy In Memory of Prescott C. Terrell
Mary A. Sankovich In Memory of Mel Sankovich
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Seiffert
Dorie and William Smiley
Matthew and Lauren Tiller In Memory of Frank “Hop” Cassidy
Eileen Tuttle
Chad Valentine
Carolyn C. White
Garland and Vivian Williams, Sr.
Patty and Charles Worsham In Honor of Nancy Young