Rev. Rufus Hawley gravestone replica installed at West Avon Cemetery

The Rev. Rufus Hawley 1826 gravestone was deteriorated and needed to be replaced. A new one, made of comparable grade stone from Vermont, was handcrafted by artisan and historian Randall Nelson of Willington, CT with funds donated by the Marilyn Lindsay Foundation and the Marilyn Lindsay Revocable Trust. Attending the ceremony on June 3rd to install the new stone, in this social distancing photo, were fifth and sixth generation descendants of Rev. Hawley, Mr. John Miller, and his daughter, Amanda, on the right. Members of the Avon Historical Society are on the left and Mr. Randall Nelson with Society member Dick Rulon, superintendent of West Avon Cemetery is in the center. According to state probate law, the original stone is in the archives of the Avon Historical Society. Photos courtesy of Deb Key Imagery.