As the final resting place for members of the Brocton and Portland community for over 200 years, the Cemetery deserved better. Thanks to the ambition of one former Brocton resident, the problem was solved.

John Baldridge, a Brocton native who now lives in Pittsburgh, established a GoFundMe page to purchase signs for the Cemetery. Baldridge said the fundraiser “took off” with a flurry of donations.

The signs have now been installed at the Cemetery. They were designed by Baldridge and built by Chautauqua Sign Co.

“It’s amazing what we can do when we all come together,” Baldridge said.

Submitted Photos New signs have been installed at the Portland Evergreen Cemetery. The signs were crowdfunded through a GoFundMe campaign led by John Baldridge, a former Brocton resident.

Throughout the process, Baldridge contacted Brocton Village Trustee Drew Ransom, a former Brocton Central School classmate. Ransom helped Baldridge coordinate with Portland Town Supervisor Rich Lewis and Cemetery Director Jerry Boltz.

“(Boltz) was super excited about it. He had the idea a while ago, but he just didn’t have the funds to do anything or know how to raise the money,” Baldridge said.

Within 10 days of creating the GoFundMe page, more than $2,800 was raised. The funds covered the cost to create and install the signs, with the excess funds covering maintenance and the planting of flowers around the sign.

The project was personal for Baldridge, whose grandparents are buried at the Evergreen Cemetery.

“That’s my motivation, but a lot of people have motivation to do this,” Baldridge said. “A lot of people want to do something, and I think that says something. It speaks to the importance of the town and the community.”

Baldridge was proud to share that the project was completed in time for Memorial Day, with signs that lived up to his hope for “something that’s going to last a long time.”