My sincere appreciation and gratitude to our amazing eighteen-member cast of the 2018 “Meet the Pioneers” for the wonderful and interesting program on October 5 and 6. Helping to make this year’s show so successful was a equally amazing group of volunteers who processed tickets, directed traffic, gathered the tour groups, got them on the bus and helped to keep the tours on schedule. Then there were our tour guides who lead each tour group around the tour route, our hostesses who made sure the volunteers were cared for with snacks, water and coffee, and the volunteers who then volunteered to help setup each day and clean-up on Sunday morning following the tours. It really takes a small army and hundreds of volunteer hours to make this program work each year. Despite our first rain fall in twelve years, our volunteers and our audience members remained upbeat and excited about the program. Just like true Oregonians, everyone dressed for the weather and enjoyed the show with no complaints.

This is the only major fundraising event for the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery and I am pleased to report that after expenses we raised just over $4,000. Proceeds will be used for ongoing restoration and preservation work in all sections of the cemetery, as well as our educational programs such as History Saturday in the Cemetery, Tuesday Evening Cemetery Strolls and private tours for school groups and others. Thank you to all the volunteers and those who purchased tickets for helping to support our work in caring for this Jacksonville treasure.

We will soon start the process of planning for the programs, events and activities that we will be offering in the New Year. It is always exciting looking for new stories and ways to share the rich history of Jacksonville and the Rogue Valley with locals and visitors.

Two big projects that we have been working on and that will be our main focus in the New Year, are a new cemetery brochure on Oregon and the Civil War and the Civil War Veterans that rest in our cemetery and a Cemetery Kiosk.

It has been another very busy year for our volunteers with monument restoration work, marker cleaning, tree pruning and grounds clean-up, tours, programs and events all of which I will recap in the next Jacksonville Review.

A thoughtful and meaningful Christmas gift for that special person who is into preservation and history is a donation to the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery in their name. We will send them notice of your gift in their name and we will send you a letter acknowledging your donation for tax purposes. Donations may be sent to FOJHC, PO Box 1541, Jacksonville, OR 97530. For additional information please contact info@friendsjvillecemetery.org or call 541 826-9939.

Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Successful New Year.

Dirk J. Siedlecki
President – FOJHC

Featured image: Meet the Pioneers 2018, Photo by Ken Gregg