Historical Society announces cast for May 12 Cemetery Walk

The St. Croix County Historical Society will present the Willow River Cemetery Walk Saturday, May 12, from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Willow River Cemetery in Hudson. The event is part of the annual Yellowstone Trail Heritage Days.

Tours take about 80 minutes and will start on the quarter hour with the last tour starting at 2:30.

Admission is $7.50 for adults, $3 for students (13-18). Children under 12 are admitted free with an adult.

Those attending will take a guided walking tour through the cemetery to the gravesites of eight former Hudson residents where costumed actors will share the life stories of the “Spirits” of Hudson’s past. The Pearly Gate Singers will perform traditional hymns, and guests may can stop by the Humbird Chapel to see the restoration work of the Hudson Vintage Neighborhood Alliance.

“We have a great cast of volunteer actors for the Cemetery Walk,” said SCCHS volunteer Jacki Bradham. They include:

--Daryl Standafer, retired banker and longtime member of the St Croix County Board, who will be returning as the colorful Charlie Ward. Ward grew up on the Seattle waterfront, rode with Pancho Villa, served time at Leavenworth, and went from an entry-level worker at Brown & Bigelow to company chief in just nine years.

--Kellie Burrows is a River Falls resident who works for the American Cancer Society and has been part of the River Falls Community Theatre for over 10 years. She will be portraying Hudson’s first millionaire, Miss Anita North, who had two Hudson homes, a 1917 Cadillac, and a delightful sense of humor.

--Zoe Vnak, a junior at Hudson High School who enjoys theater, art and music, will portray Mary (Moffat) Hughes a former resident of Hudson’s historic Octagon House. Hughes was a talented musician and prominent in musical circles throughout this region.

--Brian Erdrich of Hudson is a high school junior with plans to pursue a future in musical theater. Brian will take on the persona of Mary’s husband, Thomas Hughes, who was an adventurous newsman from London and a soloist with a powerful voice. It was music that brought Tom and Mary together and they shared a life that revolved around their significant musical talents and their two sons.

--Lynn Stafford is an attorney from Oakdale, Minn., who enjoys acting for community theaters and taking photos. She will depict Jennie Humphrey, the artistic wife of Herman L. Humphrey, at the site of the unique and prominent Humphrey family monument.

--Jim Blaha, a man of many professions (from ice cream maker to a computer analyst), has long perused theater, music and art. He will portray the controversial Dr. Boyd Williams, a man who lived a troubled life, founded the Williams Cancer Sanatorium in Hudson and was a pioneer in the surgical removal of cancers.

--Meredith Berg, a former teacher and Historical Society board member, will return to the role of Dr. Williams’ younger sister, Essie, also a teacher and the first female attorney to plead a case before the Minnesota Supreme Court. Essie experienced the gender inequities common in the first half of the 1900s and they left her a bitter spinster who was ultimately disbarred.

--Tracy Carlson, mother of six and the administrator/clerk-treasurer for the village of Baldwin, a former real estate agent and teacher will portray Miss Sarah Andrews, a member of a local pioneer family and one of Hudson’s early public school teachers.

In the case of inclement weather the performance will be moved to Bethel Lutheran Church at 920 Third St.

Please note there are no restrooms available at the cemetery.

For more info on the Cemetery Walk, visit the Historical Society’s website at www.pressenter.com/~octagon or find St. Croix County Historical Society on Facebook. Yellowstone Trail Heritage Days info is available at http://www.hudsonwi.org.

Tags: lifestyle, entertainment, obituaruies