Mrs. Hannah Storer, the very first person to be buried in Hope Cemetery in 1790, was married to Colonel Joseph Storer, who died after being wounded at the Battle of Saratoga in the Revolutionary War. The Storers owned the Storer Mansion on the street bearing their name. Not only was it the first house in Kennebunk to be painted, the home also welcomed visits from President James Monroe and the renowned Marquis de Lafayette.
James K. Remich founded The Weekly Visitor, a newspaper in Kennebunk in 1809. He used his newspaper to condemn “the indiscriminate sale of spirits” and became a leading light in the state and national temperance movement, much to his financial detriment as many of his readers were rum importers. His tombstone features an open book, iconography designed to represent his profession and the human heart, its thoughts and feelings open to the world of God.
Miss Annie Nason was the last survivor of the first graduating class at Kennebunk High School in 1872, and was a kind, friendly neighbor who owned a rare collection of shells collected by her father when he was marooned on a Pacific island after a shipwreck. She loved to entertain friends with interesting stories of residents and events of years ago.
George Herbert “Bert” Walker, American banker and businessman, had a long and distinguished career at the highest levels of business. However, he is best remembered as the founder of the Walker Cup Match, golf’s leading amateur golf competition, and for being the grandfather and namesake of George H. W. Bush and great grandfather of George W. Bush, the 41st and 43rd Presidents of the United States, respectively. He is also the namesake for Walkers Point in Kennebunkport, which he purchased with his father in the late 19th century.
During his life, Roger Gonneville was known by all for his integrity, passion for local history, his love of 1940’s swing music, and his 45 years of perfect attendance as a Rotarian. For many he represented all that was best in small town America. He owned Greene’s Garage, the local Chevrolet dealership, from 1945 to 1981. He also owned one of the first televisions in town, placing the appliance in the front window of Greene’s Garage so that townspeople could marvel at the newfangled device.
Tweet, a life-long Kennebunk resident, served as a pilot in the U.S. Navy until 1947. His service forged a deep sense of patriotism. An active member of American Legion Post #74 for more than 60 years, Tweet honored the graves of veterans at cemeteries large and small with American flags, often driving his beloved 1931 Model A Ford to each site.
