Jeff Bryan has cared for the graves at Beulah Cemetery for 30 years now. Jeff doesn’t see caring for the dead as a job. It’s a calling. “I believe that God brought me to this place at this time to help me remember what is important in life.”
And for Jeff, the way he makes his living is very personal to him. “My wife and I care about this cemetery, and we have family members buried here.”
Beulah Cemetery was founded in 1882 when the citizens of New Britain and Doylestown formed the Beulah Cemetery Association to sponsor a non-denominational burial place for local residents. The cemetery is located on 14 acres where Upper State and Almshouse roads cross.
The land it sits on was originally owned by local wheelwright (person who builds and repairs wooden wheels) Benjamin Schuyler. Schuyler sold his farmland to the Association for $3,300 and served as an officer for the original Beulah Cemetery Association.
Soon after, Beulah Chapel was built as a place to hold services for loved ones buried on the grounds.
The oldest grave at Beulah is dated Sept. 12, 1883, and if you stop and read the inscriptions on some of the oldest headstones, you’ll discover many of the dead came here from Switzerland.
Jeff Bryan is a landscaper by trade who was asked by one of the directors at Beulah to fill the position of superintendent in 1994. He already knew how to maintain the lawn, but he also trained to run equipment and dig graves. His work then grew from ground maintenance to selling lots, opening and closing the graves, meeting with bereaved families, and assisting at the graveside services.
The part he finds most rewarding is being there for the loved ones of the deceased at one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Jeff says it took him a while doing this work to fully appreciate that when people are going through loss what they most need is for “someone to come right alongside of them in their grief and to realize just how very painful this loss is for them.”
Jeff grew up in Bedminster Township and has been married for 41 years. He and his wife raised five children together.
The founders of Beulah Cemetery wanted most of all, says Jeff, “to have a place of peace and tranquility.” And when I walk the paths and read headstones, I think they achieved what they set out to do. I suppose that choosing a beautiful, graceful site for burial is the last thing we can do for those we love who have passed on. And Beulah is a very comforting place for loved ones to visit.
Jeff adds, “Tradition is very important to the directors and shareholders” of the cemetery, and indeed they have retained the 19th- century feel of the place.
The cemetery also contains a 72-niche columbarium. Each niche can accommodate up to two urns and includes a molded bronze face plaque for names and dates of the persons resting there.
Beulah Chapel is no longer used for services. It was renovated in 2009, with careful attention to preserve its original wainscoting, window frames, and woodburning stove which dates back to 1885, and to maintain its Gothic Revival style and atmosphere.
The chapel can now be rented. It offers seating for up to 50 people. In addition to its main room, it has a kitchenette, a bathroom, and an office to fully accommodate your meeting or event. The chapel is air conditioned and handicap accessible.
For more information on booking Beulah Chapel, Jeff Bryan can be reached at 215-340-1790.
I ask Jeff what he’s learned in his 30 years caring for those who have passed on, and at services for those left behind. He takes a moment to respond. “Life is short,” he says, “And death always comes as an interruption.”
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