Storm knocks down tree, exposes hidden 100-year-old gravestone
A tree uprooted by last week's high winds in Rochester, New York exposed a hidden gravestone of a person who died in 1918.
A gravestone is exposed after a tree fell at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York on June 18, 2026. (Facebook/Friends of Mt. Hope)
A falling tree during high winds last week in Rochester, New York, exposed a century-old gravestone buried in the dirt.
Edna Amelia Goodman Allen, born in 1892, died at the age of 26 years in 1918, leaving behind her husband, John D. Allen, a son, mother, and six siblings. Presumably, the headstone had sunk underground as the tree's roots built up around it over the 108 years since she was buried.
A tree fell at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York on June 18, 2026, exposing a gravestone. (Facebook/Friends of Mt. Hope)
Winds gusted to 54 mph around 1 p.m. EDT on June 18 at the Rochester airport. Trees were also reported down on Sanford and Shelter Streets during the event, both just north of the cemetery.
The news was posted on Facebook by The Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery, a non-profit organization of volunteers founded in 1980 to "restore, preserve, and encourage public use and enjoyment" of Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York.
A similar occurrence in 1980 was documented in a Columbus, Ohio, newspaper.
Once the tree is removed and the area is deemed safe, volunteers will repair the area and clean the stone.
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