Fate, and ‘An Evergreen Companion’

In 2003, Peter Christopher Gordon, originally from Queens, N.Y., along with his wife, Patricia, purchased a home along the riverside in Owego, N.Y. At that time, little did they know that the former owner, Frank Randall, of Randall Brothers Construction Company, built the Evergreen Mortuary Chapel. As an historian, this sparked Gordon’s attention, and now the rest is history – documented history, that is.

Gordon, who serves as Historian for the Town of Owego, appointed on Feb 6, 2018, became a member of the Evergreen Cemetery Committee, and is now a member of the Friends of Owego Evergreen Inc., as is his wife, Patricia Loewe. Most recently, and through his research, Gordon has authored and released his findings in his new book, “An Evergreen Companion.”

This approximate 150-page book contains 140 biographies of those buried there, close to 300 photographs and maps that highlight aspects of the cemetery and its beginnings, and even talks about the virtual cemetery tour located through a link at ExperienceTioga.com. The book also highlights the cemetery’s statuary, and its origins that date back to The Great Fire and the New York and Erie Railroad.

“The message of the book is a contrast to what is going on today,” stated Gordon about his first published book about the historic cemetery.

Gordon continued, “Many visitors have found, while touring Evergreen, as designed, an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, a park-like setting for strolling, jogging, and picnicking while enjoying some of the best views in New York’s Southern Tier and the Susquehanna Valley.” 

And of special note, Gordon’s book is dedicated to the late Michele Evans who, after being appointed executive vice president of the aeronautics segment of Lockheed Martin, passed away from cancer at the age of 55 in January of this year. Evans was to be interred in the family’s mausoleum at Evergreen Cemetery in Owego, N.Y.

Other notables in the book include Lawrence Roswell Peaslee (1918 – 1984). In his biography, Gordon writes, “The phrase, ‘Houston we have a problem’, is familiar to most people. When things went wrong during the flight of Apollo 13 what was actually said was, ‘Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem.’” 

One of the men who helped bring the astronauts home safely is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, and that’s the late Mr. Peaslee.

The Platt Monument and the late Senator Platt are also highlighted in the book. Senator Thomas Collier Platt (July 15, 1833 – March 6, 1910) was a two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1873–1877) and a three-term U.S. Senator from New York in 1881, and from 1897 to 1909. He is best known as the “political boss” of the Republican Party in New York State in the late 19th century and early 20th century. 

According to Gordon’s account, Platt’s funeral in 1910 was the largest ever held in Owego, extending from the Presbyterian Church on North Avenue, up East Avenue, and finally ascending East Beecher Hill to his burial place in Evergreen Cemetery.

Platt is just one of many highlighted in the book, along with other details of the cemetery and a glance at any future plans. 

Gordon further described, “Most importantly in Evergreen you will see demonstrated the physical embodiment of the Village residents’ respect for the memory of all people.” 

Evergreen Owego was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 as an archetypal example of the Rural Cemetery Movement. In Gordon’s book, discover the story behind the earliest monument in the United States dedicated to a Native woman. The Companion also contains plans for updating and improving this, or any other historic cemetery. 

You can purchase “An Evergreen Companion” on Amazon, or during a book signing planned for Saturday, April 17, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Riverow Bookshop, located at the corner of Lake and Front Streets in Owego. 

All money received, after the cost of printing, goes directly to fund Evergreen improvements and maintenance through the Friends of Owego Evergreen Cemetery.