Christie Ellinwood of Antrim was honored for more than six decades of service to Maplewood Cemetery during a ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 27, at the First Presbyterian Church of Antrim.
State Rep. Jim Creighton of Antrim, Col. US Army (Ret.) read a proclamation from Gov. Kelly Ayotte, and Select Board member Bob Edwards read a statement from House Speaker Sherman Packard.
The Trustees of Maplewood Cemetery then presented Ellinwood with a bronze plaque recognizing his 64 years of service to the town.
“This plaque was given with sincere thanks for all Christie has done for Maplewood Cemetery and for more than 64 years of dedicated and unselfish service,” said Select Board member Bob Edwards.
Ellinwood’s sons, Christie S. Ellinwood, Jr. and Aaron Ellinwood, shared “words of wisdom” and stories about their father during the ceremony.
Bill Nichols, president of the Antrim Historical Society, read a history of Ellinwood’s life, starting with his birth in Keene in 1939.
Ellinwood, who is descended from a family of noted stoneworkers, began working at Maplewood Cemetery in 1957, at age 17, at the suggestion of Harlan Sweat, a family friend who maintained the grounds. In his early years, Ellinwood walked to his grandmother’s house in the village every day for lunch.
According to the Antrim Historical Society, Maplewood Cemetery was founded in 1896 by Josiah Christie and Morris Christie, who drove by the rolling sheep pasture on Elm Street (Route 202) and decided it was the perfect spot for a cemetery. The Christies bought the land from Mark and Levi Woodbury and began to sell cemetery plots. Josiah Christie was the second person buried in Maplewood.
According to Nichols, Ellinwood has “always suspected” that he is descended from and named for the Christie family, but the connection was never confirmed.
Nichols traced Ellinwood’s long history in Antrim in his remarks.
“From those first days in Arthur Bryer’s house on Gregg Lake Road to his years walking between his grandmother’s house and the cemetery, Christie’s life mapped itself onto Antrim’s geography. He knew where the cellar holes were, which families had owned which farms, why certain sections of the cemetery bore certain names,” Nichols said.
Nichols lauded Ellinwood’s long history of helping the Antrim Historical Society document the buildings, homes and families of Antrim, calling Ellinwood a “living archive.”
“What makes Christie truly invaluable to the Antrim Historical Society is not just his personal story, but his role as a living repository of the town’s collective memory. His brain holds what no archive can fully capture: the connections between families, the stories behind the official records, the human details that bring dry historical facts to life. When researchers need to understand why certain sections of the cemetery bear particular names, or how families moved from farm to town, or which cellar holes belong to which homesteads, Christie is their go-to source.
“His generosity with this knowledge is remarkable. There is never hesitation when called upon, never a sense that his time is being imposed upon. Whether it is a question about lot numbers in the cemetery, the location of long-lost wells or fountains, or the intricate family connections that have shaped Antrim’s social fabric for generations, Christie shares what he knows with the same gracious patience he showed during decades of cemetery work. His records, meticulously kept over the years, have become invaluable resources that complement and often correct official documents.
“The Historical Society recognizes what they have in Christie—not just a member, but a treasure. His appointment as an honorary lifetime member is more than ceremonial recognition; it is an acknowledgment that some contributions transcend membership dues or committee work. Christie has given something irreplaceable: a lifetime of careful observation, meticulous record-keeping, and most importantly, the willingness to share it all freely with anyone seeking to understand Antrim’s past.
“In Christie, the Historical Society has found what every organization hopes for but rarely discovers: someone whose personal passion aligns perfectly with their mission, whose individual story illuminates the larger story they are trying to preserve. His legacy extends far beyond his own family’s tale—it lives on in every researcher who benefits from his knowledge, every mystery solved through his careful records, and every future generation who will understand their town’s history more clearly because one man chose to remember, to record, and to share.
“Christie, thank you for a wonderful 68 years,” Nichols said.