Message from the Organizers of the 5th Annual West Elfers Cemetery Memorial Day Services

West Elfers Cemetery has been a respected part of our community since it was established in 1877 with the burial of Peter Karr Baillie, pioneer resident and veteran of the Florida Seminole Indian Wars.

Today, the cemetery has grown and become a unique part of Pasco County’s history with the veterans at rest representing services in seven U.S. wars; the only cemetery in west Pasco with this distinction. These wars were the Florida Seminole Indian Wars, Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War and the Persian Gulf War.

Since 2007, the West Elfers Cemetery Preservation Association has diligently worked to honor the sacrifices of our heroic veterans through the presentation of an annual Memorial Day service.

In days past, it was common practice for a community to gather at its cemetery at various times of the year for purposes of maintenance, fellowship, remembrance, and honoring those before us. Everyone would bring a bag lunch or the ladies would coordinate a potluck, and the day was spent giving back to the veterans and pioneers who laid the groundwork for the community that we now know.

In our busy lives today, many of these time-honored traditions have fallen by the wayside, resulting in less attention being paid to those things that have been part of our community since its inception. And which should be revered.

With our annual Memorial Day service, we hope to revive those traditions of days past, while helping the community to learn more about it’s history and pioneer veterans. Through this and other endeavors, we can preserve the heritage and history of those at rest and bring more awareness to our often-neglected historic cemeteries.

With the greatest gratitude, the West Elfers Cemetery Preservation Association wishes to thank those who participated in our 2011 Memorial Day services and to everyone from our community who attended to pay tribute and honor the more than 100 veterans at rest in the historic cemetery.

Your presence and attendance is truly important to our association and the families of those at rest.

A special thank you is in order to those dignitaries who attended-- state Sen. Mike Fasano, Sheriff Chris Nocco, School Superintendent Heather Fiorentino and New Port Richey City Councilman Bob Langford-- and for helping make the services a momentous occasion for everyone.

Also, a thank you to all others, without who we would never have a service-- Jillian Rossi for her lovely rendition of the National Anthem and God Bless America, bugler Steve Grzesik who played taps, and to Mr. Tom Dobies for being our emcee and of course for use of his tent and chairs. Also, the West Pasco Historical Society for use of additional folding chairs for our more than 150 guests.

To the Knights of Columbus, Father Gerard E. Powers Fourth Degree Assembly #2882, we owe the most. Our services would not be possible without your endearing support in planning this event each and every year, helping to place flags, and your honor guard being a valuable part of our services.

So if you were unable to join us this year, we hope that next year you will take a few minutes to stop by the West Elfers Cemetery to be apart of our special Memorial Day service or to help place flags on the graves of the numerous veterans at rest in the cemetery. We promise you will enjoy the peace and tranquility of our historic cemetery while paying tribute to our pioneer veterans.

West Elfers Cemetery Fast Fact:

• Peter Karr Baillie served with a Georgia Company during the Second Florida Seminole Indian War, which lasted from 1835 to 1842.

• When Peter Karr Baillie died in 1877 he was the first burial in what was then a church cemetery. Today, the cemetery has grown into a community cemetery with more than 300 burials.

• The small church, named Union Church, was non-denominational and was among the first religious institutions in west Pasco County.

• In 1885 the Union Church was hit by lightening and destroyed by fire, after which the congregation became Methodist and Baptist.

• The Baptist portion of the congregation organized the Anclote Missionary Baptist Church, which was located near today’s Anclote Elementary School on Madison Street in Elfers.

• The Methodist portion of the congregation established the Sapling Woods Methodist Church, which had its own church cemetery now called East Elfers Cemetery.

• Of the more than 300 burials at the West Elfers Cemetery, approximately 1/3 are veterans.
• The last veteran buried at the West Elfers Cemetery was David Cutshaw in 2009.