September 04 Presentation

La Crosse Area Genealogical Society

Restoring Old Cemeteries
Presentation by Ralph Hendersin at the September 21, 2004 LAGS meeting

INTRODUCTION

   A few words here to explain why I undertook these projects and some specifics on how they were accomplished. I initially chose small pioneer type cemeteries after being inspired by the "Indiana Pioneer Cemetery Restoration Project" pages that I had viewed on the web. Also I reasoned that althought cleaning of stones would probably not be a problem, no regular cemetery sexton would want me to attempt repair of the stones in "their" cemetery till I could demonstrate a capability of successfully completing these tasks without resulting in further damage. The sexton's good will is very important, so treat them accordingly, and I also must stress here that, in the restoration of old "abandoned" cemeteries it is very important to contact the land owner(s) for permission to enter upon their property. I have no found one yet who has shown any sign of refusing after I carefully explained what my intentions were and asked them how I could best access the site without damaging any crops or interfering with their operations. In fact, they have shown a great spirit of cooperation. For those of you viewing this page who feel the repair projects are beyond the scope of your capabilities, begin by cleaning your relatives' stones. I'm sure you will find some of them are in need of this. Perhaps some of you would be interested in volunteering a few hours a week to help the sexton accomplish these tasks. There is plenty of this work to be done in every cemetery, as you will see when visiting any one of them and observing the conditions (leaning, lichen encrusted, broken or sunken monuments). The individuals that are charged with maintaining most of these cemeteries may not have the time or funds to accomplish these tasks.
   Our goal here is to demonstrate that this work can be done by anyone and to hopefully arouse enough interest to bring forth volunteers to clean and/or repair damages caused by aging or vandalism in their local cemeteries. We cleaned the stones using Procter & Gamble "Orvus" soap, a biodegradable, non-staining compound that leaves no residue to reappear as a stain at a later date. The product may be found in stores dealing in animal husbandry supplies. I found it at the Onalaska "Farm & Fleet" store. The brush we use is a Sparta Brush Co. #48X, also purchased at the same store. This is a brush with stiff "poly" bristles (stiff nylon also works well) that will clean without damaging the stone. CAUTION! DO NOT use wire brushes, metal scrapers or harsh cleaners such as "409" because of the damage caused or the staining residue that will remain.
   I am repairing the broken tabletstones with "Devcon" clear, two part epoxy. There are several choices within this brand name but I selected the variety that is waterproof, recommended for stone and concrete, and is slower setting than most epoxies (30 minutes working time). This allows ample time to make last minute adjustments before and during clamping. I found this epoxy at the local Wal-Mart store. Although I made the wood clamps I use, there are many clamps available at woodworking supply stores such as Menards, Home Depot, etc.
   Finally, I strongly recommend that volunteers deciding to undertake some of this work study the references below to make the project go smoothly once started and thus result in a great feeling of accomplishment upon completion.

My Gravestone Cleaning Kit

Orvus compound (mix 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons per gallon water)
Gallon milk jug (for mixing Orvus solution)
Spray bottle (for spraying Orvus solution, mine previously held carpet spot cleaner)
Brush (for scrubbing stone, stiff nylon or poly bristles)
Sprinkling can (for flushing off the Orvus solution)
Wood scrapers, various widths (for scraping off stubborn growths, sharpened with sand paper)
Sanding block (for sharpening wood scrapers)
Water (lots of it for flushing off the Orvus solution)

REFERENCES

"A Graveyard Preservation Primer" by Lynette Strangstad
How to Cast a New Base for a Stone
Stone Repair Toolbox
John Walters' Mortar Mix Recipes
"The restoration Process One Step at a Time"
Tippecanoe County (IN) Cemetery Restoration Pictures

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Last updated 8.9.2005