Brian Kennell will present a program on Elizabeth Thorn, highlighting her accomplishments before, during and following the Battle of Gettysburg; the development of the Gettysburg Civil War Women's Memorial and the creation of the children's book, Evergreen: A Gettysburg Tale.
Gettysburg native Brian A. Kennell is the ninth superintendent in the history of Evergreen Cemetery. At the age of thirteen, Kennell moved into the historic Evergreen Cemetery Gatehouse in 1976 and has lived there as an adult since 1990. He has been employed by the cemetery association since 1978 and succeeded his father, Arthur L. Kennell, as superintendent in 1991. He has served as president of both Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Adams County and the Gettysburg Civil War Women’s Memorial Association. He is the author of the book Beyond The Gatehouse: Gettysburg's Evergreen Cemetery and recently produced the children’s book Evergreen: A Gettysburg Tale. As a singer/songwriter/producer, Kennell has performed and recorded for over 30 years and has worked with Grammy-winning artists and notable musicians while recording/producing in Nashville since 2009. His future projects include a revised Beyond the Gatehouse book (2027) and documentary on Evergreen Cemetery’s history.
Inside Evergreen Cemetery, near to the Cemetery’s gatehouse, a Women’s Memorial depicts a pregnant woman wiping her brow as she prepares to bury yet another man slain at the Battle of Gettys- burg. She was immortalized in this way for having taken over the responsibility for the cemetery after her husband, a member of the 138th PA, was called away to fight for the Union.
Join us as Brian Kennell to learn more about Elizabeth Thorn’s story.