Posts Tagged ‘Sue Hunter Weir’
Tales from Pioneer and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery
178th in a Series By SUE HUNTER WEIR Lafayette Mason””One Mpls.”™ First Black Firefighters Musician, Artist, and Southside High Football Captain Other than some graffiti on about a dozen fence pillars, the Cemetery was untouched during the protests on Lake Street. The graffiti was gone within a few days but the stories about the lives of those who are buried inside the gates continue. It”™s obvious to passersby that the Cemetery is old. What is less obvious is that the Cemetery is listed in the National Register of Historic Sites because of the people who are buried there. For the most part they were not famous but collectively their stories tell how the city and state were built. Some of them had ties to the early abolitionist and anti-slavery movements in Minnesota and others because it was a favored burial site for members of the early African-American community, many of whom led [...]
Open Letter about Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery and Sue Hunter Weir
As I have gotten to know Sue over the years, I can not even begin to describe how impressed I am with what a great historian, member of our community, and friend Sue is. Sue has such a passion for the cemetery. It may seem like a very niche interest, but Sue has a talent for researching the lives of those Minneapolitans who have come before us and translating them into stories that we may “get to know” these great people in a way that is not communicated through granite. It is inspirational to know someone who “gets it” that life is about putting your energies toward that which you are passionate about. One of my great self indulgences (when I can find time to be by myself) is to go to the Midtown Global Market, grab a bite to eat, grab an Alley newspaper, and loose myself in one of Sue”'s articles about someone who lived in our city 100+ years ago. In particular, Sue brings attention to those who lived rather common, or sometimes even [...]
157th Cemetery Season Ends as Picket Restoration Begins
By Sue Hunter Weir Another cemetery season (the 157th) has drawn to a close: the Cemetery officially closed for the year on Friday, October 15th. You will still see plenty of signs of life during the next few months, though. On September 20th, restoration work began on the Cemetery”'s fence and gates. The thirteen sections of the fence that are in the worst shape have been removed and have been temporarily replaced by 8-foot chain link. The gates, which weigh roughly 300 pounds apiece, have been removed. The restoration process involves many steps: sandblasting, filling, galvanizing, and painting before they will be reinstalled in late November or early December. Most of the kickbacks (the braces that support each fence section by extending at an angle into the ground and anchored in concrete) are too badly damaged to be restored and will be replaced. The stone where the gates and picket sections attach to the masonry columns will need to be [...]
