Reverend Stephen Merritt   1833-1917   "You may move the hands of a clock to suit you, but you do not change the time; so you hurry the unfolding of God's will , but you harm and do not help the work. You can open a rosebud but you spoil the flower. Leave all to Him. Hands down. Thy will, not mine." Stephen Merritt was a wealthy New Yorker, who lived in a veritable palace in Hoboken Heights, at that time an aristocratic section. He had the uncanny vocation of being a Reverend and an Undertaker. He gave much time to overseas missions and to New York's poor. He was the undertaker for Ulysses S. Grant as well as patron of the destitute left alone and penniless. Stephen Merritt was also responsible for the educating the first woman to be an undertaker. Before women were accepted as undertakers, Stephen Merritt became the first to allow a woman to learn the undertaking business from him in 1899. An unusual encounter changed his life forever. A young man  named Kaboo lived in Africa in the western forests of the Ivory Coast. His father was a tribal chieftan. Kaboo's life as the Chieftain's son was not easy as he was tortured and ransomed as booty to the victors of other tribal lords. During this plight Kaboo was awoken by the Holy Spirit . He was able to escape his tormentors and arrived in  Liberia where he was educated by  Methodist missionaries.(*note that Ann Wilkins, also buried at Maple Grove was the first  woman missionary to Liberia). He was baptized and his name became Samuel Morris. He became a spiritual leader. He was encouraged to come to New York to become educated so he could run his own mission. He was told that Stephen Merritt, at that time secretary to Bishop William Taylor , was the man to meet in New York. He began his journey on a ship to New York. His half year journey started with racism and maltreatment and ended with his inspiration winning over the entire crew. Samuel Morris went on to  meet Stephen Merritt and together they inspired many . Their time together was short, but Stephen Merritt's life was forever changed. Samuel moved on to Fort Wayne Indiana to begin his own mission. Sadly, at the age of 21  in 1893, Sammy died of exposure from which he could not recover. He left behind so many followers and inspired legions of people. Upon Rev. Stephen Merritt himself, the influence of the Negro boy who could scarcely speak English proved to be so powerful, the Reverend opened his heart ot everyone. Samuel had spent only a week with him in New York: yet the strong faith of the "angel in ebony" continued to work miracles as long as Merritt lived.  Merritt went to hospitals for the insane and prayed for them, and many were restored to reason: he visited hospitals for the ill and prayed for them, and many were healed. Before the end of Stephen Merritt's pastorate. ten thousand persons had been brought accept the Holy Spirit. As early as 1877 Stephen Merritt began purchasing plots at maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens. His first plots were in the South Border, where the destitute were buried. He made his profits in New York City selling plots . After 1893 Stephen Merritt became a savior and buried the people who could not afford to be buried. In the Summit section, there are over 199 adults and babies buried on the loftiest hill  overlooking the cemetery. At one time there was a large oak tree shading the plot, but had succumbed to the ravishes of time and it was taken down. An old abandoned angel statue was placed on that hill and placed on a boulder excavated from Maple Grove with a dedication to the Reverend. Although he is not buried in Maple Grove (he is buried in Woodlawn), Stephen Merritt was such an integral part of the cemetery’s history. He also was the undertaker for  The Bluebird of Mulberry Bend, Julia the dog, and Thomas Winn, the buccaneer amongst many others.     "I spent the night after General Grant's death with his remains, walking back and forth and looking now and then upon the face of of the dead chieftain who had received all the honors earth could bestow. Today I look upon the face of him (Thomas Winn , the aged Buccaneer) who lies here silent in death, and I said "The Master knows no difference between the two. He recognizes alike the rich and the poor the chieftain and the beggar.