Jacksonville Review – March 2026

SPRINGTIME IN THE CEMETERY—What an unusual winter we’ve had so far. After some initial rain, it turned cold and dry and, as we write this column in early February, there appears to be little wet weather yet to come. Still, when the occasional fog lifts and the sun shines, the cemetery is a place of beautiful vistas, and soon we’ll likely be seeing several hundred daffodils pop up again throughout the cemetery—courtesy of a Jacksonville Garden Club planting weekend last fall.

Meanwhile, the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery (FOJHC) is again planning the customary Spring Community Cemetery Clean-Up Day, for March 21st this year, to help get the cemetery grounds ready for spring and whatever that means weather-wise – hopefully at least some “April showers” (and lots of snow in the mountains). Details of this year’s event are below.

The FOJHC board was pleased to host an always-welcome visitor at our January meeting! Mary Siedlecki came by to share news of a significant monetary donation to the Friends from the Guardians of the Eagle Point Museum, a charitable organization of which she has long been a part. Mary, along with her late husband, Dirk, were co-founders in 2008 of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery and together led the good work of the Friends for many years until Dirk’s passing in 2023. Since then, Mary has continued as an enthusiastic participant in Friends events and programs and has been an invaluable “behind the scenes” advisor to current board members. We extend our thanks to Mary for all she has done, and continues to do, as a Friend of the cemetery—with special thanks for this special donation!

The same January meeting also welcomed volunteer Butch Frost as the newest member of the Friends board. Butch has been involved in the community through his work with the local Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge and the Jacksonville Cemetery Committee, and we welcome his leadership of the FOJHC’s Marker Cleaning Workshop program beginning in May.

Our Friends restoration team recently completed a small but significant project. The headstone of Beatrice Breitbarth (City 194, 10) had fallen and broken in two. Beatrice, who died of smallpox in 1869 before her third birthday, was the first child of Henry and Julia Ann Hopwood Breitbarth and a niece of Jacksonville pioneers Elizabeth Hopwood and John England Ross. The Breitbarth’s home (now the Plymale Cottage) was built for them in 1868. Henry owned the original Bella Union Saloon from 1864 to 1871. After repairing Beatrice’s marker, the team completed the restoration by leveling and re-setting the base and stone.

Spring Community Cemetery Clean-Up Day, Saturday, March 21, 9am-noon—Please join us for our first cemetery clean-up day of 2026. As usual, please meet at the Sexton’s Tool House at the top of Cemetery Road for directions to the focus clean-up areas. Bring gloves to wear, eye and ear protection, leaf rakes, pruners, and/or electric/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 at friendsjvillecemetery.org for future events and programs.

Featured image: “Little Beatrice,” Breitbarth Family Block, City 194,10. Photo: Dick Meyers, FOJHC