Thanks to Jacksonville resident John Howell, the old symbolic cross in the cemetery has been restored and is once again standing proudly over the Catholic Section. In July 2021, while John was walking his dog, Willie, he noticed the cross was in a state of disrepair. Not one to sit back, John decided to do something about the situation and jumped into action.
His first task was seeking approval for the restoration project from various city staffers and organizations, including Cemetery Sexton, Rick Shields and Friends of the Historic Cemetery President, Dirk Siedlecki. John contacted his fellow Pioneer Village neighbor, Glen Cote, who helped with designing the new cross as well as Father Ken of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, who was key in securing approval of the project. Several people stepped-up when it came to the design, layout and construction of the cross including Tom Smurzynski, whose “Walking Tall Southern Oregon” group provided the old-growth Redwood from which the new cross was cut. Bill Ziegler from Southern Oregon Waterjet Solutions donated labor and material for the cut-out of the stainless steel figure, as well.
The final assembly of the project happened on March 2, (Ash Wednesday) with a dedication ceremony planned during Lent on March 31, at 2:00pm. John Howell, who is no stranger to serving others in the community, hopes everyone enjoys this beautiful addition to the Jacksonville Cemetery. Thanks to volunteers like him and his team, we all have another reason to be grateful.