Recently-Restored Headstone of George P. Funck—The beautiful tablet-style headstone of George P. Funck, who died on January 22, 1869 of smallpox, has been restored. He was one of the last victims of the smallpox epidemic that struck Jacksonville in the fall of 1868. George died in his cabin just outside of Jacksonville. Due to the fear of spreading the dreaded disease further, he was buried near his cabin and not in the cemetery. In 1875, the I.O.O.F purchased the headstone shown from James Russell of the Ashland Marble Works and it was placed on George’s gravesite near the cabin. In 1877, Mr. Funck’s remains were exhumed and reburied in the I.O.O.F. section of the Jacksonville Cemetery. He was an early pioneer to the Rogue Valley, arriving in 1852-1853. Reportedly, he was Peter Britt’s prime photo distributor in the late 1850’s. George was also an employee of Max Muller and Anton Maximilian Brentano in their dry goods business and he was an agent for the Grover & Baker sewing machine company. George served as a Trustee (City Council) for the City of Jacksonville, along with his employer Max Muller. George also held substantial positions within the local I.O.O.F. fraternal organization which would explain their purchasing and placing his headstone.

Photo by John McGlothlin

We are pretty confident that his headstone was one of the many that were badly damaged in the major vandalism that occurred in the mid 1960’s as there were several others in the immediate area that suffered a similar fate. Pieces of his headstone, and many others, were moved to the Cemetery Shop where they were stored and remained for many years. The only piece of the headstone that remained at George’s gravesite was a small, broken piece that remained attached to its original sandstone base. John McGlothlin and I started working on the stone late last year and were able to dig out, level and reset the base before the weather turned cold. This spring, we resumed work on the stone and attached one piece at a time. By allowing time for the epoxy to set up, we were successful at reattaching the remaining three pieces. Thanks to the knowledge, skills, and assistance of city employee, Eric Villarreal, we were able to fill in some of the larger cracks. Needless to say, we are quite proud of this restoration project and delighted to be able to share this beautiful piece of artwork by James and Ann Hill Russell with visitors to the cemetery.

Thank you Volunteers—May was a very busy month! My sincere appreciation and gratitude to all our amazing volunteers for their time and everything they did in helping us with our May Events & Activities.

A total of 225 hours of volunteer labor were dedicated to these May happenings by the following:

  • Tours—Robert Hight & Anne Peugh
  • Restoration Projects—John McGlothlin & Dirk Siedlecki
  • Community Clean-up Day—Steve & Susan Casaleggio, Don & Eloise Cady, Tony & Joan Hess, Beverly Helvie, Teresa Hopkins, Karen Markman, Tom Mitchell, Mike McClain, Ian Ruppert, Ron Ruppert, Mary Siedlecki, Nancy Vaughn, Kathy Waltz and John Welsh.
  • History Saturday—Anne Peugh and Lynn Ransford
  • Tuesday Evening Stroll—Dirk & Mary Siedlecki
  • Placement of Flags—Murritt Davis, Lorry Juteau-Davis, Niko Davis, Katie Haugse, Tony & Joan Hess, Sherry Kramer, Betsy Sharp, Mary Siedlecki, Kathy Waltz, Susan White, and John Zemansky
  • Memorial Day Meet and Greet—Joan Hess, Robert Hight, Betsy Sharp, Mary Siedlecki, Kate Thomas, Anne Peugh and Kathy Waltz.

I want to also thank city staffers Richard Shields and Eric Villarreal for all their efforts in preparing and maintaining the cemetery grounds for visiting families and friends. Thank you also to the Knights of Columbus for their efforts in cleaning up the Catholic Section of the cemetery; your help was greatly appreciated.

July Cemetery Events and Activities

Tuesday Evening Cemetery Stroll, July 10, 6:30-8:00pm—Our topic and stroll this month will focus on “Art and Artists in the Cemetery.” May we suggest wearing comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and insect repellent. Meet your docents at the top of the Cemetery Road where you will find parking available. The program is free with no advance reservations required. Donations are always appreciated and help support our work in caring for the cemetery.

History Saturday in the Cemetery, July 14, 10:00-11:30am—July’s program will be “Native Americans, The Rogue Valley’s First Residents.”

We suggest comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sunscreen. Parking is available at the top of the Cemetery Road where the program will be presented. No reservations are required and the program is free. Donations are always appreciated and help to support the work of our organization.

Marker Cleaning Workshop, Saturday, July 21, 9:00am-noon—easy and rewarding volunteer project helping to clean the grave markers in the cemetery. All the necessary tools and supplies are provided along with instructions. We meet at the Sexton’s Tool House at the top of the Cemetery Road. Dress for the project and you may want to bring along a stool to sit on. A hat and sunscreen are also recommended.

Please visit our website friendsjvillecemetery.org for complete details on these events and activities as well as those scheduled in the future.

Thank you and have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July.

Dirk J. Siedlecki, President – FOJHC