By the start of June, summer will officially be under way everywhere, including the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery! But first, a sincere thank you to the nearly seventy of you who came out for our Community-Wide Cemetery Clean-Up on April 29th. What a difference you made!
June features the first installment of this season’s History Saturday in the Cemetery and its unique and popular format of a local history talk—presented in Jacksonville’s beautiful Pioneer Cemetery—followed by a short walking tour to related cemetery sites. History Saturday in the Cemetery is coordinated this year by volunteer Ellen Martin and includes four programs (June, July, August, September), continuing an event that has been a highlight of summer in Jacksonville since 2011.
Also in June, our second Marker Cleaning Workshop of the season is set to continue the great work accomplished at the April workshop event by an energetic and focused group of volunteers, or as workshop leader Dee Reynar put it, “A small but mighty efficient team.” That team, which included volunteers Mary Siedlecki, who drove in from Eagle Point, and Gail Nicholson, who flew in that morning from Tennessee, among others, cleaned some 30 markers, maintaining the pace of the five workshops held last year. What a great start for the program in 2023.
History Saturday in the Cemetery, Saturday, June 10, 10-11:30am, “Travel by Stagecoach: What a journey!”—No advance registration is required. May not be suitable for the very young. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. Meet at the Sexton’s Tool House, top of Cemetery Road near the flagpole. Parking available within the cemetery grounds. There is no fee for the tours however, donations are greatly appreciated and help support our educational programs and restoration and preservation work within the cemetery.
Marker Cleaning Workshop, Saturday, June 17, 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 near the flagpole, for detailed instructions and to pick up cleaning tools and supplies. Parking within the cemetery grounds.
Please check our website at friendsjvillecemetery.org for information on future events and activities.
Dick Meyers, is a Board Member, Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery (FOJHC).