Tour of Settlers' Cemetery

The large Freeman grave is the focus of a Dannevirke Settlers' Cemetery walk on Sunday. Photo / Supplied

The accomplishments of James Spiers Freeman while living in Dannevirke will be the focus of Sunday's tour of the Dannevirke Settlers' Cemetery.

The large headstone, which is on a tilt, marks the graves of not just James Freeman but eight members of his extended family.

Freeman is thought to have bought a number of adjacent plots.

Tour co-ordinator Sharyn Burling has been researching Freeman's life in Dannevirke.

"At this point I don't know whose name is on the headstone. I will need to use some cunning ploys to make the lettering legible without damaging the stone."

Freeman, a land and hotel seller, died in 1930. He was secretary of the Dannevirke Racing Club for a number of years.

Burling has been able to identify some of Freeman's family members who share the grave site.

One of graves belongs to Walter Yates Freeman who died in 1908 at the age of 17.

Frederick Freeman Beauman also died in 1908 and could have been a grandson of James Freeman.

Freeman's wife Lucy died in 1941 as did Anthony, aged 6 days and Roger aged 16 days.

Freeman had two unmarried sisters, one died in 1947 and the other in 1956.

The Settlers Cemetery closed in 1912.

Burling said over the time the tours have been held family members have been located.

"It would be fantastic if we could find some of the descendants of James Freeman. We find that once people find they have ancestors at the Settlers Cemetery they want to restore their graves."

Burling says she loves carrying out the research into the graves.

She is a member of the New Zealand Society of Geneologists, an organisation that provides valuable information.

Sunday's tour begins at 2pm and is followed by afternoon tea