Jacksonville Review – July 2024

OUR BUSY MAY schedule got off to a rainy start with the cancellation of the Pre-Memorial Day Cemetery Clean-Up due to unusually cold weather and nearly an inch of unexpected rainfall! Fortunately, members of the cemetery team from Jacksonville Public Works had been mowing the paths and open spaces in anticipation of Clean-Up weekend, and they picked up right where they left off once the rain stopped. Then, Adopt-A-Block and other weed-whacking Friends volunteers joined in on their own schedules… and the job got done!

With the cemetery transformed from high spring weeds to generally neat and tidy, another group of Friends volunteers was able to place U.S. flags at the gravesites of the over 400 military veterans who reside in the Jacksonville Historic Cemetery. With that, the cemetery was ready for a busy Memorial Day weekend! Flags will remain in place until after Veterans Day in November.

In the meantime, weather on the second Saturday of May was much improved, and recurring Friends events for the summer season got off to a great start with the first of five History Saturday in the Cemetery programs, a fascinating talk on “Spirits, Bars, and Prohibition” in early Jacksonville, presented by Carolyn Kingsnorth and Steve Corelis. While Ellen Martin’s tour following the presentation did not include stops at even one of the alleged 36 saloons that once populated Jacksonville, it did offer “spirited” insights into the lives of many early residents of “Saloon City.”

Another beautiful day beckoned on the third Saturday of May, this time for the Friends Marker Cleaning Workshop, led by Dee Reynar and attended by a dozen new and returning volunteers who cleaned thirty headstones and markers in the IOOF section. Marker Cleaning Workshops continue through September.

History Saturday in the Cemetery, Saturday, July 13, 10-11:30am, “The Law: Lawyers, Judges, and a Sheriff or Two”—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, July 20, 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: Flags at Veterans’ Gravesites on Memorial Day Weekend – Photo: Dick Meyers