NEW JOB: St. John’s U.C.C. “Mantels”

We have another job, the restoration of the old cemetery at St. John’s U.C.C. “Mantels.” No work dates have been set. We'll keep you posted.

The cemetery is located between Union and Washington, south of Krakow off of Highway A. The church’s present cemetery is located alongside Highway A, but the older graveyard is next to the church, which is down a short lane off of the highway.

Before the work begins in earnest, there are some preliminary things that might be accom-plished by individuals or small groups.

We should have an inventory, either on paper or photographically, of all the existing headstones. I’m hopeful that a comparison of headstones to the church’s burial records will afford us an accurate list of unmarked burials, some of which may be marked by sympathetic descendants! A list of irreparable headstones will also be helpful; and there are some.

If there is a pattern to the burials, that is: Were they buried chronologically? That would be helpful in determining the proper locations of displaced headstones.

There are headstones in a wooded area adjacent to the cemetery. Are these headstones ‘discards’ from the cemetery or are there actually graves in the woods? Probing for bases might resolve this.

Let's have some discussion at tonight’s (July 5) work event at Odd Fellows Cemetery regarding work dates.