Early October is normally the time “a small army of volunteers” is working non-stop to put the finishing touches on stories, costumes, and logistical details for another chapter of Meet the Pioneers, our special Living History program where costumed Players share the rich history of Jacksonville and the Rogue Valley on two evenings of one-hour guided tours in the cemetery.
Meet the Pioneers was very much FOJHC-founder and President Dirk Siedlecki’s “signature event” and while, with his untimely passing this past January, there is no program scheduled for this year, and its future remains uncertain, Dirk did leave us a wonderful legacy of many Meet the Pioneers performances recorded in video format and residing on YouTube (at Oregon History Tales). Of the fourteen seasons of Meet the Pioneers, the most recent four (a total of thirty-nine performances) are available for viewing at no charge and at your convenience. So, please consider taking a moment to enjoy a favorite Meet the Pioneers presentation on YouTube and raise a glass in honor of Dirk and this award-winning program.
Our August History Saturday program, “Myths and Mysteries in the Cemetery,” told the “gone but not forgotten” stories of several of our more colorful “Silent City” residents. With the help of a genuine crystal ball, Pam Smith and Carolyn Embry found and related stories that in some cases clarified and in others mystified their large and enthusiastic audience. Two of the stories, those of Anna Marple and Lewis O’Neil, are also available on YouTube, as described above.
Also in August, repairs were made at WWI Veteran Francis Winn’s gravesite (Catholic section, block G8). With roots from a nearby tree causing the headstone to lean precariously, it was in danger of falling over. A team of five volunteers, including Sean Chase of Chase Memorials, disassembled the monument, raised, and leveled the base, and reattached the headstone. The work was made safer and easier by using a tripod lift on loan from Chase Memorials.
Preservation and restoration are important and ongoing parts of the mission of FOJHC, and we thank Sean Chase, Richard Shields, John McGlothlin, Ken Reynar, Eric Rogers, and Dee Reynar for their excellent work on this project.
Finally, in anticipation of fall weather and clear air, we look forward to seeing you for our final cemetery clean-up of the year (details below). Also, please remember that tools and other equipment for marker cleaning and Adopt-a-block maintenance activities are available for your use in the Volunteer Tool Shed (adjacent to the Pavilion) as your schedules permit.
Fall Community Cemetery Clean-up Day, Saturday, October 21, 9am-noon—Join the Friends and other community organizations and volunteers for a clean-up of the cemetery grounds in preparation for winter. Bring gloves to wear, leaf rakes, pruners, and gas/battery operated blowers. Eye and ear protection is recommended. Meet at the Sexton’s Tool House, top of Cemetery Road near the flagpole, for directions to the areas where we will be working. Parking is available within the cemetery grounds.
Visit www.friendsjvillecemetery.org for more information about events and restoration efforts.
Featured image: Volunteers John McGlothlin, Eric Rogers, Sean Chase, Ken Reynar (Catholic G8). Photo by Diana Reynar.