By the time you read this, the Cemetery should be looking good and almost ready for spring, thanks to last month’s Community Spring Clean-Up Day and the ongoing Adopt-A-Block program where some 200 volunteers maintain “adopted” cemetery blocks—on their own schedules, as time permits.
We shared the news, last month, of the untimely passing of Friends co-founder and President, Dirk Siedlecki after a brief illness. At the time of his passing, Dirk was preparing a Cemetery News column on volunteer participation in Friends’ programs in 2022. With Mary Siedlecki’s help, the job of tallying the numbers is now complete…and the news is good! With the loosening of Covid’s grip, it seems we came out in droves for time in the fresh air and sunshine.
We helped with cemetery clean-ups, tended to our Adopt-a-Block plots, set out flags to honor our veterans on Memorial Day, enjoyed docent-led tours and History Saturday in the Cemetery presentations—and, yes, after a two-year Covid-driven hiatus, once again heard voices from our town’s past tell their stories, as “a small army of volunteers” staged twenty-two Meet the Pioneers living history tours in October.
From just over 1,500 volunteer hours in 2021, Mary reports nearly 4,500 hours recorded in 2022—a three-fold increase! While Dirk would have thanked each and every one of us for supporting these programs, it’s time to acknowledge the steadfast vision and just plain hard work on Dirk’s part, over many years, that made these programs possible for us to participate in and enjoy.
So, on behalf of Friends volunteers everywhere: Thank You, Dirk! 2022 was a great year for the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery!
Marker Cleaning Workshop, Saturday, April 15, 9am-noon—Please join us and learn the latest tools and techniques to safely clean and help preserve the many grave markers in our cemetery that are covered in moss, lichen, and dirt and have become difficult to read. This is a hands-on workshop, so dress accordingly. Bring a stool to sit on while working, plus sunscreen and a hat. Meet at the Sexton’s Tool House, top of Cemetery Road, for detailed instructions and to pick up cleaning tools and supplies.
Please see friendsjvillecemetery.org for information on future events and activities.
Featured image is Volunteer Bev Smith at the Pernoll monument (Redmen 8). Photo by Mary Siedlecki.