Just when we thought things couldn’t get worse… bam, they did with the terrible wildfires in early September. Our hearts and prayers go out to our neighbors and friends who lost so much. I am currently trying to determine what cemeteries may have been damaged by the fires to see if any help is needed.

We had to cancel our September 19 Marker Cleaning Workshop due to poor air quality but plan to regroup on October 17. This will be the last workshop of the year as the weather gets too cold, the time when the freeze and thaw cycle and excess moisture poses a damage threat to the stones.

Following the observance of Veterans Day on November 11, our group of volunteers will be removing the flags from the Veterans’ grave sites. The flags will then be taken to Eagle Point National Cemetery for disposal. New flags will be placed just before Memorial Day 2021.

The photographs are of the headstone of Annie E. Dean which stands at her grave site in the Improved Order of Red Men section. Annie was only 19-years-old when she died on February 1, 1882, after giving birth a week before. Her headstone notes, which was the custom at the time, wife of Bradford W. Dean, who she wed on October 27, 1880.

Her headstone was one of those being stored in the cemetery workshop waiting to be repaired and placed back on the grave site. The base and pieces of the headstone were taken back to the actual grave site and restored on site. The missing wedge of stone on the upper right-hand side could not be located. Volunteer John McGlothlin, who has been helping to restore markers since 2017, has become quite the artist and recreated the missing piece. He was also able to add the missing “2” back into 1882 as well as fill in the cracks. John’s skills get better and better with each project he takes on. This is time consuming work and we certainly appreciate and admire all that he does for our organization and Jacksonville.