Jacksonville Review – June 2025

JUNE 20th marks the official transition from what has been a beautiful spring to what will likely be a warm (but hopefully not too hot or smoky) summer season.

To help prepare the cemetery for summer visitors, the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery held our second clean-up of the season on May 3rd. The goal was to continue the removal of leaves and branches begun in March, plus mowing and weed whacking of springtime grasses that, while beautiful when green, don’t stay that way for long once the warmer summer weather begins.

Despite chilly and rainy weather on May 3rd, an energetic group of volunteers came out to help! Work was focused on the City Section and, while progress was made, there is still much to be done. To that end, we look forward to the efforts of our many Adopt-A-Block volunteers and the always great work of Cemetery Sexton Rick Shields and his crew to further ready the cemetery for a busy summer season. Thank you to everyone who was able to help on May 3rd!

Thanks also to Friends President Eric Rogers who recently led an effort to re-install a patriotic Memorial Day exhibit at the Jacksonville Public Library. The exhibit, originally created by late FOJHC founder, Dirk Siedlecki, and featuring memorabilia from Dirk’s collection, honors America’s fallen veterans and was on display through May.

We’ll have reports next month on the first episodes of the Friends’ recurring 2nd Saturday summer event, History Saturday in the Cemetery, as well as the 3rd-Saturday Marker Cleaning Workshop. Meanwhile, details of this month’s editions of both events are highlighted below. We hope to see you out enjoying one or both of these activities, as the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery summer season continues!

History Saturday in the Cemetery, Saturday, June 14, 10-11:30am, “Scandalous Stories in the Cemetery”—No advance registration is required. May not be suitable for the very young. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. There is no fee for the tours, however donations supporting our programs are greatly appreciated.

Marker Cleaning Workshop, Saturday, June 21, 9am-noon—Come learn the latest tools and techniques to safely clean and 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, plus sunscreen and a hat.

All Events—Meet at the Sexton’s Tool House, top of Cemetery Road. Parking within the cemetery.

Please check our website at friendsjvillecemetery.org for future events and programs.

Featured image: Memorial Day Exhibit at Jacksonville Library, May 2025. Photo: Eric Rogers, FOJHC