I definitely agree about cemeteries being deemed to be in the category of "historic" in their nature.
Many of us who visit what most would consider to be pioneer cemeteries, or the older sections of newer cemeteries, can attest that these are the burial grounds where those who were the creators of the area's earliest history rest -- hopefully in peace, yet the cemetery 'lives' on in the community in the midst of modern day structures standing as neighbors to folks like you and me.
We sometimes walk past them, in some cases not even realizing they are there if they have been neglected for years. Some are tucked away on side streets or off township roads, but they occupy land that holds the remains of those who came before us.
These ancestors learned that they had to be hardy souls; and they walked more than they rode, they worked with their hands and hearts, they started the villages that grew and thrived, or in some cases remained the small towns we have come to know and love today.
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Adhering to the proper Do No Harm practices of cleaning gravestones, and choosing an individual or company to hire who will adhere to them, are key decisions that profoundly affect a gravestone's quality of existence for many years to come.
This #48 Preservation Brief addresses many issues and helps us make wiser decisions that will best benefit the gravestones, gravesites, and cemeteries in our communities. Early gravestones are fragile, one-of-a-kind historic artifacts that also mark the resting places of those whom we should remember, honor, and respect for their contributions and sacrifices.
We must do our part to keep their gravesites as intact and presentable as we possibly can so those who come after us can show their proper respect as well.
