September Meeting Place Change

Dear Friends: A Message From Marc

Next month’s FCCS meeting will be held at St. John’s “Mantels” United Church of Christ. The members are preparing a dinner for us in appreciation of our work on their old cemetery. The meal will be served at 6:00 p.m. and our meeting will follow. Please mark your calendars accordingly.

Next Time at St. John's "Mantels" Cemetery

The following work dates have been set for St. John’s “Mantels” Cemetery.

Thursday, September 1-----4:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 8-----4:30 p.m.

Saturday, September 10----9:00 a.m.

We are making rapid progress. Actual stone repair work and additional cleaning remains to be done. This is the fun, rewarding and enjoyable part! The heavy back breaking work is mostly finished. Thanks to everyone who has been able to help. Hopefully all of you can make it to one or more of our scheduled work dates. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Enjoy your week off!

Treasure Beneath Krog Memorial Park

An interesting article was published in the Washington Historical Society Newsletter concerning the unearthing of the tombstone of William Owens. After his death, his widow founded the city of Washington. Her stone wasn't found, but she is likely buried next to her husband.

Owens is buried in the old Bassora Cemetery now beneath Krog Memorial Park. The park is cat-a-corner across from St. John's Mercy Hospital. The article gives details on how the stones in Bassora came to be buried under the sod about 85 years ago.

The article was written by Marc Houseman, Director of the Washington Historical Society Museum and founder of the Franklin County Cemetery Society. Marc is very knowledgeable of area history and, in particular, the cemeteries.

For more details contact the historical society at the address given in the link to the right of this page. Better still, consider joining the organization for a mere $25.oo for an individual.

Work Schedule for St. John's U.C.C. Mantels

At the Tuesday, July 26 evening meeting, we created an agenda for August at St. John’s U.C.C. Cemetery at Mantels.

Saturday, August 6 beginning at 9:00 a.m.

Thursday, August 11 beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 18 beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The brush, weed, and flowering plant removal is nearly complete. A plat has been created and a complete (though growing!) inventory of the headstones has been made. We are ready to tackle the headstones with cleaning crew, repairs and much straightening. The clearing of brush has revealed several headstones that have never been recorded, so historically speaking, this has already proven to be a valuable project.

“Mantels” is located on Highway A south of Krakow, between Union and Washington. The “new” cemetery is located right alongside Highway A. The old cemetery, where we are working, is adjacent to the church which is on the other side of the highway on Mantels Road.

Magnificent Accomplishments!

Last evening, about six of our members converged on the Wildey Odd Fellows Cemetery in Washington. Though not a large turnout, the group was able to straighten and / or otherwise reset about fifteen headstones! Included in the list of re-set monuments were the rather large tombstones of Joseph H. Schmidt and family and that of the Kloentrup family. These thousand-pound plus markers, though incredibly heavy, quickly yielded to the muscle power of our determined team, well, and a variety of equipment. Also, several headstones were cleaned, including those of the Lay and Murphy families, some of the oldest markers in the cemetery. Their stones actually predate the establishment of the cemetery and likely the graves they mark were once in the old Bassora Cemetery / Krog Park Thanks to all who were able to help!

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.

Let's Meet at Wildey Odd Fellows Cemetery

We have several monuments at Odd Fellows that, many years ago, were laid flat into wet cement. Among other chores, we will attempt to remove the tombstones from their concrete “tombs” and re-erect them properly. This will be very interesting and rewarding work.

Wildey Odd Fellows Cemetery in Washington beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5 and Wednesday, July 13.

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