My sincere appreciation to all our volunteers who put in so many hours of work in helping to prepare the cemetery grounds for the Memorial Day holiday. Thank you to our city employees who went all-out to help us in this endeavor. While we were unable to get to all areas of the cemetery, we did the best we could in preparing the cemetery for visitors during the Memorial Day weekend. A special thank you to the following for answering my call-for-help in trimming back the tall grass and weeds—John Elliott, Kurt Elliott, Steve Casaleggio, Eric Rogers, Teresa Hopkins and Barbara Jackson. Also, much appreciation to our volunteer group who placed 415 flags on the grave sites of our Veterans in remembrance of their service to our country.

The FOJHC recently purchased and placed a headstone on the grave site of Fredrick Grob Sr., a Civil War Era Veteran who served with the 2nd California Infantry Co A. His was the only known Veteran grave site without a headstone and it was an honor for the Friends to be able to mark his grave site with a headstone and flag in time for Memorial Day. Mr. Grob rests in the Independent (German) Order of Red Men section of the cemetery. Thank you to John McGlothlin for his research, help in placing the marker and photograph.

Dee Reynar, who headed-up our Story Board project and I are delighted with all the wonderful feedback we have been receiving from visitors about the new Story Boards. It is fun to watch as visitors stand reading the stories and then look around and head off to the next board. They certainly have proven to be a wonderful enhancement and one that adds to the experience of visiting Jacksonville and it’s Pioneer Cemetery. We are excited about adding more Story Boards in the near future.

History Saturday in the Cemetery, Saturday, July 9, Talk begins at 10:00am—Our third History Saturday program will be on “A New Form of Transportation—the Railroad Arrives in the Rogue Valley and Jacksonville.” The program is free and no advance reservations are required. You may meet your docents at the top of the Cemetery Road where parking is available. We suggest comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen and a hat. Programs are presented on the second Saturday of each month through September 10. See our website at friendsjvillecemetery.org for a complete listing of topics to be covered. Donations are always appreciated and help to support our work in the cemetery—and we thank you for your consideration.

Marker Cleaning Workshop, Saturday, July 16, 9:00am-noon—Join our group of dedicated volunteers and learn how to safely clean and preserve our cemetery’s beautiful monuments for future generations to enjoy. All the necessary tools and instructions will be provided along with our appreciation. Meet at the Sexton’s Tool House at the top of the Cemetery Road. Dress for the project and we suggest a hat, sunscreen and perhaps a stool to sit on. Visit our website for all the details and future dates at friendsjvillcemetery.org.