Mount Bethel Cemetery, 700 Locust St., Columbia, will be full of activity during the weekend of Friday, April 28, to Sunday, April 30. On April 28, Columbia artist Bill Clark will display his work in the cottage on the property from 5 to 8 p.m. He will show the artwork again on April 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. Light refreshments will be available during both shows.

A self-taught artist, Clark began painting when he was 68 years old, seven years after he retired from Lancaster Newspapers. He mostly uses acrylics, and he enjoys painting landscapes, flowers and buildings, especially European homes and farm outbuildings. "Most are painted from memory, especially from Bill's extensive travels," said Claire Storm, secretary of the Mount Bethel Board of Directors and Friends of Mount Bethel Cemetery. Clark will be present on both dates to answer questions about his artwork, and the paintings will be for sale.

On April 30, the cemetery board will recognize three men and four women who have made outstanding contributions to the cemetery, Storm stated. A monument that has been recently installed in their honor will be dedicated at 2 p.m.

The honorees are Susanna Wright, the daughter of town founder John Wright. She compiled a list of names of the people who were buried in the cemetery between 1730 and 1750. Following the custom of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, most of the graves had no tombstones, Storm explained. Susanna gave her land for the cemetery. Helen Schlossman, a Columbia Borough teacher born in 1909, will also be honored. A member of the Pennsylvania State Retired Teachers Association and a volunteer at the Columbia library, Schlossman died in 2001, leaving part of her estate to Mount Bethel. The third female honoree, Marjorie Heim, was born in 1919 and was a member of the Columbia Presbyterian Church. She also left part of her estate to the cemetery. The fourth woman to be honored on the monument is Anne Schwartz Hoehn, a former Mount Bethel board member who helped with the entry of burials into the cemetery's database. An artist and collector, she died in 2020, leaving part of her estate to the cemetery as well.

The three men who will be honored are current board members John Hinkle Jr., David Mountz and Ronald Mable. As Storm explained, the cemetery was in disrepair in the late 20th century. In 1994, the three men were part of a committee to discuss the future of the cemetery and the funding required to restore it. They had a rough start getting funding, Storm said, noting, "At that time, they relied totally on donations from the community." Several years ago, the nonprofit Friends of Mount Bethel Cemetery was formed to ease the financial burden through fundraising events.

For the dedication ceremony, board member Kathy Hohenadel will serve as master of ceremonies. Local thespian Janet Wood will portray Susanna Wright.

"Mount Bethel is where our town founders are interred, including Susanna Wright, and it's rich in history," Storm said. "Visitors will learn about a segment of Columbia history, and members of the board will be available to answer any questions they may have."