Ownership of the Wing Ring Cemetery Being Transferred to the Town of Wayne

by Buzz Schultze, President of The Wing Ring Cemetery Co (WRCC)

After 162 years of being owned and maintained by Wing Family members, mostly descendants of Stephen Wing who migrated from Sandwich, Massachusetts, the ownership of the Cemetery site and responsibility for all future care and maintenance will be transferred from the WRCC to the Wayne Cemetery Association (WCA) of Wayne, Maine. While no formal transfer date has yet been set (it will be no later than the end of 2025), the Board of the WCA has agreed to assume responsibility for raking, mowing and trimming of the site immediately.

Over the past 3 years the WRRC has undertaken extensive repairs and renovations to the Cemetery which have been funded by very generous donations from Wing family members. The overall costs of this project will have exceeded $35,000 and will leave the Cemetery in almost new condition. The only major item yet to be completed is the rebuilding of the east and south walls which is currently underway and should be completed by early summer.  Payment for this work remains the responsibility of the WRCC and the funds to pay for this work are currently on deposit. After this payment, the WRCC’s obligations will end. The WRCC will use any remaining funds on hand to have the center monument cleaned and as many gravestones as possible cleaned and/or repaired.

This has been a very difficult decision to reach. Since 1989 I have been the only active WRCC member remaining who has been local and able to ensure proper care of the Cemetery. The financial assistance provided by the Wing Assembly of Maine (District 1 of the WFA) for the last decade or so has been greatly appreciated. However, at age 78 my health will not last forever and the cost of hiring a sexton is simply too high, so it has become necessary to transfer the site to the WCA to ensure that the Cemetery is well cared for in the future. The WCA is reputable and responsible and have agreed to allow Wing family members to go on site and to visit or make repairs to their family’s graves if they wish to at any time. I am confident that the WCA will take very good care of our family’s wonderful and historical Wing Cemetery in the future.

I’ll keep an eye on the Cemetery and clean a few stones from time to time, while I can. Hope that will be for many more years. My email is buzzer1007@yahoo.com if you have comments or questions.

Editor’s Note: We all owe Buzz a warm round of applause in gratitude for his and the WRCC’s work over the years on this important Wing historical site.  Many thanks, Buzz!