Preservation of the history contained in burial grounds is relegated to a small group of dedicated caretakers without the resources, time and often energy to take care of the sacred places with which they are entrusted. HSM member Ed Stewart passed along an article from Nebraska about a woman who has made it her life’s work to repair and restore monuments that ‘belong’ to no one else.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20130803/NEWS/130809977/1052
Her idea to establish a non profit with a mission to take care of abandoned cemeteries is worth considering for our area. Anyone interested? There are SO many local burial grounds that need attention — can someone step forward to organize restoration projects? There is a core of interested people in Friends of Middletown Cemeteries, but no one to lead the charge . . . Please contact HSM if you’d like to be that person! history@catskill.net.
Marianne Greenfield of Delhi is a local cemetery steward who cares deeply about preserving the names and life histories of the dead by taking care of their resting places. Hers is a commercial service with a historical mission:
Marianne Greenfield
Gravestone Cleaning Service
607 267-2708
www.gravestonecleaningservice.com