CRISFIELD — The Chesapeake Bay was home to a large number of lighthouses, each one maintained by a dedicated group of public servants known as Lighthouse Keepers.

One of these public servants, George M. Wible, was honored on Saturday, May 14 in Crisfield by the Chesapeake Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.  

The chapter installed a U.S. Lighthouse Service marker at the grave of George M. Wible at the Crisfield Cemetery at the request of the Wible family and as part of the chapter’s Lighthouse Keeper Grave Marker program.

These markers are provided and installed at no cost to the families.

The marker was installed in the morning, then the Keeper was honored at a grave-side ceremony at 12:15 p.m. with chapter volunteer Greg Krawczyk serving as the Master of Ceremony. Despite the heavy rain, the service of Keeper Wible was reviewed, a flag installed on the marker, taps played and some photos quickly taken.

George Wible was born in 1885 in Accomack County, Va. In 1914 he started his lighthouse service at the Point No Point light, offshore in St Mary’s County, as the 1st Assistant Keeper until 1917. That year he transferred to the Tangier Island light just off the southern tip of Tangier Island. Keeper Wible died in 1925 while he was still serving there as the Head Keeper.

Keeper Wible is the seventh Lighthouse Keeper buried in Crisfield to be honored.

Families can learn how to apply to have their Lighthouse Keeper or Lightship Sailor descendent honored, and learn about the 34 other Lighthouse Keepers the chapter has honored to date, go to the Chapters web page: www.cheslights.org/programs /program-lighthouse-keeper-grave-marker.  

The Chesapeake Chapter executes a number of other programs to honor Lighthouse Keepers and Lightship Sailors, educate the public on Bay lighthouse and lightship history and performs preservation at some Maryland lighthouses and lightships. Specifically, the chapter performs the maintenance, preservation and restoration of the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse off Annapolis. Visit www.cheslights.org for more information.