Cemetery Work to Continue—As you may have read elsewhere in this edition of the Jacksonville Review, Dirk Siedlecki, your usual columnist in this space, and the long-time President of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery (FOJHC), passed away on January 31st after a brief illness.
Dirk, with his wife Mary, founded the FOJHC in 2009 and, prior to that, Dirk chaired its predecessor, the Jacksonville Boosters Cemetery Committee. The FOJHC was formed as a 501c(3) charity to raise tax-deductible donations for the restoration and maintenance of the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery.
Dirk’s efforts on behalf of the Cemetery are legendary and his knowledge, leadership and friendship are sorely missed. In his absence, the members of the Board of the FOJHC will work diligently to continue the restoration and maintenance programs in the Cemetery started by Dirk and, while still in planning for 2023, it is our hope to be able to continue as many of the educational and tour programs Dirk initiated as possible.
Spring Community Cemetery Clean-Up Day, Saturday, March 25th, 9am- noon—Please join us for our first cemetery clean-up day of 2023. As usual, please meet at the Sexton’s Tool House at the top of Cemetery Road for directions to the focus clean-up areas and bring gloves to wear, eye and ear protection, leaf rakes, pruners, and/or gas-operated blowers as we will be raking and bagging leaves, picking up branches and limbs and doing a general clean-up of winter debris.
Please check our website for additional details and information on future events and activities at friendsjvillecemetery.org.
Dick Meyers is a Board Member, Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery
Featured image is John McGlothlin and Dirk Siedlecki restoring the Mary Hanna Block (Catholic C6). Photo by Andrea Boyle in 2019.