How the Butler historical society highlights trailblazers through research and acting
If the walls of the Ritts mausoleum at North Side Cemetery could talk, they might share stories of how one member of the family, Elias Ritts, helped found the YMCA and the Red Cross in Butler.
On Saturday, May 9, it wasn’t the walls that shared those stories, but an actor who portrayed the 19th century-born Butler man so realistically that some attendees of the annual Cemetery Walk were trying to calculate how old he would be in 2026.
“I actually thought he could have been the actual person,” said Susan Gould, of West Deer Township. “He was so very believable.”
The Butler County Historical Society organizes the Echoes From Our Past Cemetery walk each year, to bring stories of real Butler figures to life, like it did with Elias Ritts via the actor Kevin Kelly. The event has actors act out scripts that are written based on research performed by historical society officials, who comb the cemetery and then numerous archive resources to get as much information about a name on a grave stone as they can.
This process takes at least half a year, but the result has become a popular attraction for history-lovers of the Butler County area and beyond.
“It has been a wonderful turnout,” Mackenzie Herold, executive director of the Butler County Historical Society, said Saturday at the event.
Five actors portrayed five people buried in the cemetery Saturday, for two sessions that led groups of guests to one burial plot at a time. Aside from Ritts, who was integral to the founding of several Butler institutions that remain active to this day, some of the other figures portrayed were Egdar Huselton, who invented a new automobile and started the first automobile dealer in Butler; and Eleanor Abrams, an occupational therapist and influential painter.
Even for the actors, the experience is educational, because even though several of them are from Butler and have lived in the city for decades, they had not heard these names before being handed the script covering their life stories.
Thom Hilliard, who portrayed Edgar Huselton, said he went to school with a person sharing that last name, but didn’t know that he could have been related to the first shoe store owner in Butler.
“Edgar’s father owned the first shoe store in Butler... But he was mechanically-inclined,” said Hilliard, who has acted at the Cemetery Walk for several years. “He really liked racing cars and motorcycles.
“It’s always a fascinating time because if the historical society didn’t do this, people would never know this guy’s name,” Hilliard added. “It’s an adventure to learn because they helped make the area.”
Sharon Chernick is another longtime actor for the Cemetery Walk, and is also a member of the historical society’s board of directors now. She portrayed Hazel Myers, a woman from the late-1800s who faced trials after learning her husband had lied to her about his name and birthplace, but ended up moving to New York City after his death to pursue a new life.
Chernick said acting is one of her passions, and being able to tell the story of a Butler County figure who came before her is a unique way for her to continue following that passion.
“I love working with the people from the historical society,” Chernick said. “I respect the people who come to this, they come listen to my speech in the pouring rain.”
One of the people being portrayed in the Cemetery Walk has a Wikipedia page — Eleanor Abrams — who was an early occupational therapist and artist who was born in 1885. She was portrayed Saturday by Roann Romeo, a first-time actor for the event, who said that getting to become a person like Abrams was a little inspiring.
“She was a leader in women’s movements and women’s rights, she was a member of the Philadelphia Ten, so she opened doors like that,” Romeo said. “In our era, we don’t know what women went through back then.”
In addition to also acting as a passion, Romeo said she also enjoys reading about history, so the Cemetery Walk was a great gig to enjoy both at once.
“I love being in character, I love becoming a character,” Romeo said. “I read up on her and loved doing it.”
It won’t be long before historical society officials start researching new cemetery names for next year, Herold said, but with the popularity of the walk each year, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
“We have such wonderful history here in Butler, and lots of times people who have contributed are not well-known,” Herold said. “These people have made such an impact and they don't get the recognition.”
Hilliard, speaking as Huselton, also told his onlookers to keep an eye out next time they attend a local car show — they may see “Huselton” on some of the really old automobiles.
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A group of attendees walk through the cemetery to their next destination during the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Elias Ritts portrayed by Kevin Kelly tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk his story at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Elias Ritts portrayed by Kevin Kelly tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk his story at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Elias Ritts portrayed by Kevin Kelly tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk his story at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Clarence Graham portrayed by Zachery Davis tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk his story at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Edgar Huselton portrayed by Thom Hilliard tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk his story at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Eleanor Abrams portrayed by RoAnn Romeo tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk her story at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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A group of attendees walk through the cemetery to their next destination during the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Widow Hazel Myers portrayed by Sharon Chernick tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk the story of her late husband Robert Myers and his secret at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Widow Hazel Myers portrayed by Sharon Chernick tells attendees of the Butler County Historical Society's Annual Cemetery Walk the story of her late husband Robert Myers and his secret at North Side Cemetery on Saturday, May 9, 2026. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
