Most people go to a cemetery to visit loved ones and to possibly plant flowers near a grave, not for a captivating educational experience. However, that is exactly what approximately 35 to 40 people showed up for at Lakewood Cemetery in Middlefield on Saturday afternoon.

Cemetery Association President Jim Dow said he has wandered around many cemeteries, but said it is one thing to go by a monument and read what is on it, and quite another thing to have someone to tell you the history behind it all.

``You walk by them and see them, but you don’t really understand what you are seeing until you have it explained to you,’’ Dow said.

Dow said he came to the cemetery tour because he knew it would be a good educational opportunity.

``I was not sure what I would see on the tour,’’ said Dow. ``Almost everything that was talked about was new to me.’’

Dow said he was particularly interested in the arrangement of the cemetery and learning about the symbolism of the monuments.

``It was a treat to have someone who could guide us through the cemetery and tell us the stories,’’ Dow said.

The walking tour of Lakewood Cemetery was held to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its dedication. C.R. Jones, Conservator Emeritus, New York State Historical Association, and member of the Association of Gravestone Studies, conducted the tour that began at 1 p.m.

As Jones introduced himself, it became clear the tour was going to include a few laughs.

Jones showed up with an old-time megaphone he said he was going use as a PA system. He did not end up using it however.

Jones initiated the walking tour with a joke. He said there were probably more living people all at one time at the cemetery for the tour than there has been at any time in a very long time.

He also joked that he could have brought a slide show to show everyone, but said that would take hours, if not days, to go through.

Before the walking tour began, Jones gave a brief history of the cemetery. He said Lakewood Cemetery follows a pattern that started during a European boom in 1831 called the Rural Cemetery Movement. This is when cemeteries started to move outside of the cities because they were getting crowded, said Jones.

Jones said the Lakewood Cemetery Association was organized during the summer of 1856, mainly through the efforts of Frederick A. Lee. Lee was a prominent businessman in the village who made arrangements to buy the property for the cemetery, according to Jones.

The grounds, a short distance from the village limits, were dedicated in the presence of a large crowd on Sept. 3, 1857, according to a tour brochure.

The Lake was very important to the cemetery, according to Jones. He said it acted as a highway to the cemetery before the motor vehicle became popular.

Once everyone started walking, Jones led the group through the oldest portion of the cemetery on the east side of the road. He highlighted special monuments, unique sculptures, gravestone art, notable personalities, and added a touch of anecdotes.

One mystery solved was the reason why the Leatherstocking Monument erected in memory of James Fennimore Cooper was placed in Cooperstown. Jones said there was an attempt by an organization to raise money to build the monument in New York City after his death. However, Jones said it never came about because the group only raised about $600, which wasn’t nearly enough, so the money lay dormant. This is when two local men decided to put up the money themselves, and hired Robert Launtiz to sculpt it, said Jones.

Jones said the statue of Cooper and his dog Hector at the top needs some repair work and cleaning.

``It seems to be holding up fairly well,’’ said Jones. ``We are hoping to get a conservator who specializes in gravestones and stone monuments to come look at it.’’

Jones said the monument is really the only one of its kind dedicated to Cooper’s work. He said it also needs to be checked to make sure whatever is holding it together is still holding it together.

``Some monuments are slipping off because of missing pins,’’ said Jones.

Another monument talked about by Jones was ``Brotherly Love’’ sculpted by George Gray Bernard. Jones said Bernard was good friends with a singer in Norway, and when the singer died, Bernard was asked to carve a statue for his grave. Edward Severin Clark, the man for whom Fenimore House was built to reside in, liked it so much he wanted a less elaborate version for himself, said Jones.

According to Jones, there is only one Clark who was not buried in the family plot at Lakewood Cemetery. Alfred Corning Clark, father of Edward, was laid to rest in the Hudson Cemetery, said Jones.

Family plots are not the only things found in a cemetery. While walking through Lakewood Cemetery, one cannot be quite sure what he or she might find. For instance, Jones pointed out a little mouse on the grave of Judith Johnston. Jones said she supposedly had the mouse as a hood ornament for her car.

Another interesting site was a gravestone carved to look like a cat. Jones said Marie Johnston was very interested in art and came across some �’wonderful’’ granite sculptures outside a man’s front yard while driving the streets of Utica.

According to Jones, the man was a builder who liked to go along the rivers and streams picking up boulders to use for art. Marie liked his work so much she had him make a memorial for her.

The urn is a classical motif that is commonly found in cemeteries, said Jones. He said actual ceramic urns were put on graves in Greece, and by 300 or 400 B.C., it had become a tradition.

Jones said the Romans also used urns for human remains after cremation. The ashes were put into the urn and placed in a family mausoleum, said Jones.

Katie Clarke’s stone is shaped like an empty bed. Jones said empty beds are commonly used to show someone has died young. Clarke was born in Ithaca on Oct. 13, 1869, and died in Massachusetts on May 27, 1870.

A more unusual site seen in cemeteries is the use of cast iron furniture. Jones said the use of cast iron furniture in a family plot was a very early idea.

He said most cemeteries have lost their furniture, and cast iron fences, because of vandalism and thieves.

Another unique fact about Lakewood Cemetery is that it is not set up like most traditional cemeteries. Jones said graves are typically set up east to west with the feet on the east and the head on the west. While the tradition is understood to be Christian, Jones said it actually goes back to 1500 B.C. Lakewood Cemetery’s view is not toward the east, so it is set up the opposite way of most cemeteries.

Jones interpreted some of the symbols on the monuments and graves during the walking tour.

He said ivy is a symbol of morality and growth. He said the handshake goes back to Greek times, and by 500 B.C., many started replicating the handshake.

This symbol can have several meanings, according to Jones.

It can mean "farewell," "we will meet again in Heaven," or "gone above."

Rae Consigli, of Cooperstown, said she decided to go on the tour because she saw it in the paper and it was a beautiful day for it.

She said because she lives in the area, she wanted to learn more about the history and people that lived in Cooperstown.

Consigli said she found the unusual headstones and how they reflected different times most interesting. She said she has driven passed the cemetery several times, but never realized how big the cemetery actually is.

Jones said he was pleased with the turnout and interest in the tour. He said it helped to have a beautiful day for the occasion.

``If we had a dreary day we may not have had as much interest,’’ said Jones. ``But that would not have stopped me from coming out.’’

The tour was sponsored by the Lakewood Cemetery Association and the Town of Middlefield Historical Association to benefit the preservation missions of these associations, organizers said.