Jacksonville Review – June 2024

ON A RAINY MORNING IN APRIL, Cemetery Sexton Rick Shields, together with members of the Friends board and the Jacksonville Public Works Department staff, placed a monument in the cemetery commemorating the life and work of Dirk Siedlecki, late founder of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery and long-time President of the city Cemetery Commission. Dirk passed in early 2023 after twenty-plus years of dedicated volunteer service for the betterment of life in Jacksonville and the restoration and maintenance of its historic cemetery.

The monument, crafted by Leave Your Mark, of Phoenix, Oregon, consists of a brass plaque mounted on an iron-laden basalt boulder placed adjacent to the north side of the Sexton’s Tool House, across from the Interpretive Center and Pavilion. The monument was funded by donations from the Jacksonville Boosters Club and Foundation and by members of the Friends of Jacksonville’s Historic Cemetery.

A public monument dedication ceremony will be held at 9:30am on Saturday, June 8, at the Sexton’s Tool Shed in the cemetery—everyone is invited to attend and honor Dirk.

If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to tend to your Adopt-A-Block plot (or sign up for one through the link, below). The “May flowers” we referred to last month unfortunately included a healthy crop of grass and weeds, and we need to deal with those for the sake of appearances and to minimize fire risk in the cemetery.

In addition, the Friends board is pleased to welcome a new member, long-time Jacksonville resident and familiar face in the community, Bev Smith. In addition to her volunteer work as chair of the Boosters Club’s Peter Britt Gardens Committee, Bev was also recently elected President of the city Cemetery Committee at its inaugural meeting on March 13th. Welcome Bev!

History Saturday in the Cemetery, Saturday, June 8, 10am-11:30am, “Courtship and Love in Victorian Times”—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 15, 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.