May 27, 2025
By Eve Copeland
On Sunday, June 1, the Pickerington-Violet Township Historical Society will host its inaugural Violet Cemetery Tour—an immersive and poignant walking experience that will guide attendees through the final resting places of local veterans and illuminate how their lives intertwine with the broader history of Pickerington and the nation.
The event will take place at Violet Cemetery, located at 180 E. Columbus Street in Pickerington, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. Guided tours will begin every 15 minutes between 2:00 and 3:00 pm, with each tour lasting approximately one hour. The cost is $5.00 per person for ages 13 and older, and children 12 and under may attend for free with a parent. Reservations are required and can be made online through the Historical Society’s SignUpGenius page. Once registered, participants will receive an email invoice for convenient online payment.
Historical Society President Peggy Portier explained that the tour is more than a tribute to the veterans themselves—it’s a way of understanding the history of Pickerington through the lens of those who served.
“This is the first time the Historical Society is doing a cemetery tour. We are excited to honor our military veterans and to tell Pickerington history through their lives,” Portier said.
One theme woven into this year’s tour is the historical connection between war and disease. Portier pointed out that many of the veterans buried at Violet Cemetery did not die from battlefield injuries, but from illnesses—an all-too-common fate in earlier wars. This reality is echoed in an episode of NPR’s health program “Shots,” which noted that prior to World War II, more soldiers died from disease than from combat injuries. During the Civil War—the deadliest conflict in American history—more than two-thirds of the estimated 618,000 deaths were caused by illness. Even the Spanish Flu, the deadliest pandemic in modern history, was significantly spread by troop movements during World War I, ultimately infecting a third of the world’s population and killing an estimated 50 million people globally.
Among the veterans highlighted on the tour is Technical Sergeant Arthur Dale Stemen, who served as a radio operator and gunner in the 100th Bomb Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. On New Year’s Eve in 1944, Stemen and his crew embarked on a bombing run over Hamburg, Germany in a B-17 Flying Fortress. Their plane was attacked by German Focke-Wulf 190 fighter planes. The B-17’s right wing was hit, setting the aircraft ablaze and causing it to spiral out of control before crashing.
According to a report filed by surviving tail gunner Sgt. Roch E. Courreges, “When I left the plane, I was forced to by flames sweeping from [the] radio room… I checked the radioman (Arthur Stemen), but he was too serious, and I was too weak to throw him out. I believe he may have been shot in the heart, and he may have been dead.” Courreges, along with three others, survived and became prisoners of war. The fallen soldiers were initially buried in the small town of Hertzwege near the crash site. Stemen’s remains were eventually exhumed, moved to a cemetery for Allied soldiers, then later brought home to be buried a final time in Pickerington.
In addition to Stemen’s story, the tour will highlight veterans from prominent local families who shaped Pickerington’s economic and social life. These include Herb Wooley, who ran the Pickerington grain mill, and Ray Wetherell Jr. of the Wetherell Dairy. Relatives of these veterans will be present during the tour to share personal stories and historical context.
The tour will also include a presentation by members of the American Legion Post 283 Honor Guard. Dave Willard, a long-time advocate for veterans’ remembrance, will speak about the veteran’s memorial monument located near the cemetery’s center —an installation he helped bring to fruition.
“Right now, the weather is looking good,” Portier said. “The tours will begin rain or shine, so if there is light rain, bring an umbrella. The program will only be canceled in the event of a severe storm. Wear comfortable walking shoes.”
For those looking to explore even more of the town’s past, the Society’s next event—Heritage Day—will be held on Sunday, July 6, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the Pickerington Historical Museum at 15 E. Columbus Street. Visitors can experience local craftsmanship firsthand, watching artisans such as a violin maker and a spinning wheel expert. A special World War I reenactor will demonstrate how soldiers once handwrote letters using fountain pens—and visitors will be encouraged to try it themselves.
The Violet Cemetery Tour offers not only a tribute to the brave men and women who served, but also an intimate look at how their lives shaped the town of Pickerington itself. For more information about this event or to learn more about the Historical Society, visit pickhistory.org or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/PickeringtonHistoricalSociety.
