June 19, 2025 Seward Folly Staff

This weekend, as the midnight sun lingers over Seward, the annual Seward Solstice Cemetery Tour returns for another year of storytelling and remembrance. The tour begins at 10:30 p.m. on Solstice evening, June 21, inviting locals and visitors alike to step back in time among the headstones.

The tradition began in 2006, thanks to the passion and curiosity of Seward’s own historian, Lee Poleske. After Lee’s passing in 2023, his longtime tour assistant — and current Seward mayor — Sue McClure took up the mantle. Sue has continued Lee’s legacy, curating each tour with care and a knack for uncovering the town’s best stories.

To prepare, Sue sifted through thousands of obituaries, zeroing in on figures whose names helped shape Seward’s early days. Guests follow her from grave to grave as she shares their stories — sometimes reading, sometimes paraphrasing, and often adding her own insights or inviting tales from the crowd. What begins as a scripted walk often turns into a lively conversation, with new details and anecdotes bubbling up from participants and passersby.

This year’s program spotlights several familiar names: John Nash, the namesake of Nash Road; Harry Hoben, for whom Hoben Park is named; the brother of Seward’s famed historical writer Mary Barry; and Mrs. T.W. Hawkins (Emily Jean), associated with the historic Brown & Hawkins buildings downtown. As a preview, Sue will also share the story of John Coffey — a cautionary tale involving a backyard fire, a neighbor’s quick thinking with a bathrobe, and a tragic outcome that left a lasting mark on local memory.

If you’d like to join, meet at the Legion Flag Area behind the Chamber of Commerce at 10:30 p.m. The tour takes about an hour and will proceed in most weather — rain or shine — unless the rain is absolutely torrential, as Lee Poleske used to say. Be sure to bring insect repellent and sturdy walking shoes.

Can’t make the official tour? No problem. Sue plans to scan and collect the featured obituaries into a binder, so anyone can take a self-guided stroll through Seward’s history at their own pace. The binder will be available at Seward Museum.