  SUCCESS!!!!! Notes on the Barclay Cemetery Work from Jeanie: "I'm attaching some of the pictures that I've taken since we began to clean up and restore Barclay Cemetery. Time is moving along and I'm realizing that we've been at this cemetery for almost two years now. It is almost completed and we are all very proud of it ... especially Duane, who has led this effort." (I'm proud of the Barclay work crew too - what a wonderful effort to restore the resting place of ancestors to the peaceful, beautiful and dignified place it once was and should always be.) "What we found in November 2001, was an overgrown cemetery with only three large stones and two small ones standing - out of a total of 33 stones in the cemetery. Two of the large (Finley) stones were leaning so badly that we knew it wouldn't be long before they would be on the ground as well. While most of the stones were down, there was only one broken stone. Some of the bigger stones, which were actually four separate sections, were no longer connected to each other but were not broken." "Upon finding the cemetery and discovering through research that Duane Albert was a descendent of and related to most of the people buried in this small cemetery, he became determined to clean-up and restore the cemetery. He spear-headed the work and recruited friends which included: Stan & Jeanie Lowe, the Lowe's granddaughter, Kelsey, goddaughter, Brianna Boggs and her friend Emily Abbott to help. Mark Nissen also provided assistance this year with the building of a hoist to lift the heavy stones and then assisting Duane in straightening up the Finley stones which were leaning so badly." "November & December of 2001 was spent in cleaning off the cemetery - cutting down the overgrown weeds and "forming a plan" to deal with all of the stones which were down. Thanks to a local monument company which provided advice and instruction the crew determined what needed to be done and began to develop plans for how to accomplish the needed work." During the Spring of 2002, the cemetery was again cleaned and raked and most of the footstones were re-set. Corn was planted in the field surrounding the cemetery that year and it wasn't long before there was no access to the cemetery which is located approximately a quarter mile off the road. Work was suspended until after harvest. Following the crop harvest, we found the weeds had again overtaken the cemetery - so clearing efforts and cleanup resumed. More stones were set up and work was suspended until the end of winter. Spring 2003 saw a resumption of efforts to reset the larger stones, a task that would require a hoist and a frame to lift the stones into position. Each of the multiple sections of the large stones had to be reset individually and were extremely heavy. Betty talked to a friend who is a monument merchant and obtained the "putty" needed to hold the sections together as well as instructions on how to use the material. The putty had to be worked, like playdough, before being placed between the individual sections - the girls were a great help for this task. By the end of Spring 2003, all stones, except for a small stone which is broken in the middle, are up and looking great. The broken stone will be repaired as soon as the best way to accomplish this task without damaging the stone or covering the genealogical information has been determined. Duane & Betty maintain this charming little cemetery which now looks like a cemetery again. It is lovely and a tribute to Duane's ancestors who lived on and loved this land. (The condition today of this once forgotten and neglected cemetery is a tribute to Duane and his crew and shows what determination, dedication and a willingness to expend much time and effort can accomplish - to all of you - Thanks for a job well done. Enjoy the photos included below which show the "crew" at work and the progress made.                
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