Daughters of the American Revolution and members of the Peckville Post VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) #6082 stand near Jonathan Dean’s gravesite. From left, are Alice Keiner, Amy Ellsworth, Ruth Giardina, Ellen Clendenning, Carol Hess, Kathleen Zinskie, and Ashley DeFlice.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
Kathleen Zinskie, registrar of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (PSSDAR), reads a biography of Revolutionary War veteran Jonathan Dean.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
Mark Walters, dressed as an American Revolution War soldier, stands next to Jonathan Dean’s gravesite.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
A new marker dedicated to Revolutionary War hero Jonathan Dean.
Ben Freda | For Abington Journal
DALTON — Revolutionary War hero Jonathan Dean, the eldest veteran buried at Shoemaker Cemetery, was honored again with a ceremony on Saturday, July 23. The National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution installed a soldier marker on his grave site.
The event was attended by the Daughters of American Revolution and the Peckville VFW Post 6082. Mark Walters, member of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution, dressed as a soldier from the American Revolution.
During the ceremony, Kathleen Zinskie, registrar of the organization’s City Chapter, announced that she and her husband Harry Zinskie purchased a new marker at Matthew’s International in Ohio. Harry installed the marker to replace the old marker that was placed on Memorial Day of 1922, the year of the 100th anniversary of his death. She said that she found a brass insignia from the old marker.
“When we were digging to put this new marker in, that’s what was left,” she said. “It was placed Memorial Day Looking through newspaper clippings through www.newspapers.com, Kathleen researched the history of the 100th anniversary of Dean’s dedication as well as Dean himself.
“I love the research, the planning of it, and organizing everything,” she said.
On Nov. 30, 2021, Marylee Schirg, president of the Dalton Shoemaker Cemetery, contacted DAR because she was requested to authorize an installation of a Revolutionary Soldier Marker on Dean’s gravesite.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Dalton Shoemaker Cemetery and the town of Dalton,” she said. “They should be proud. From the mid 1800s, all these people came from all different countries, and they settled in Dalton. They all had their own contributions. Some were storekeepers. Some were blacksmiths. They all had something going on. There’s a lot of history of how Dalton developed.”
Shirg looked up Dean’s history online at www.findagrave.com and read a book from Nancy Bushko, whose grandfather donated the land for the cemetery with Elias Lillibridge.
According to www.findagrave.com, Jonathan Dean, born in Plainfield, Conn., was a Revolutionary soldier. He lived most of his life in West Greenwich, R.I., until he was 60.
He, his three sons (Ezra, James, and Jeffrey) and his daughter Abigail moved to Abington in Luzerne County in 1801. He was initially interred in a family plot on the family farm. But his grandson Monroe made arrangements for Jonathan to be buried at Shoemaker Cemetery. On Memorial Day of 1922, DAR made a historic marker with an emblem, distaff and wheel, and 13 spokes to represent the original 13 states.
