Restoration by movie and tour funds – Markers keep memories aboveground

TODD MAHON, MINNESOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Tales from Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
By SUE HUNTER WEIR
158^th in a Series

Have you ever wondered what happens to the money that we raise by showing movies and giving tours in the Cemetery? Now that the money needed to restore the fence is secured, we”'ve moved on to see what can be done to preserve the markers.

From June 13 until June 20, 2018, members of the Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps have been in the Cemetery cleaning, straightening, unearthing, and resetting markers. At the end of only three and a-half days they had already completed work on 80 markers and they still had two and-a-half days to go. And they did much of their work in 90-plus degree temperatures.

The staff is five members of an AmeriCorps crew who have received training in restoring historic properties. Their work is funded through the State”'s Legacy program, and Friends of the Cemetery is picking up the cost of the materials and cleaning supplies.

How important are these markers? Cemetery markers serve as gateways to stories about people”'s lives. The section of the Cemetery where the crew started working is Section j-1, the stretch that runs from approximately 20^th Avenue to Cedar along Lake Street.… Read the rest “Restoration by movie and tour funds – Markers keep memories aboveground”