Cemeteries, large and small, urban and rural, often need volunteers to help maintain them.  That help can range anywhere from volunteers planting flowers in cradle gravestones, washing grave markers, resetting gravestones, mending fences, trimming trees, and even lawn care. 

For instance, every year for the past several a group of volunteers led by Jaclyn and Scott have dedicated 5 or 6 Saturday mornings during the summer months to wash and reset fallen and broken gravestones.  Jaclyn is a grant writer who solicits different groups for funding to buy the materials needed for gravestone repair and reconstruction.  Scott, the onsite limestone cutter and specialist purchases the gravel, prepares limestone bases, and other materials needed for the proposed projects.  On any given Saturday morning, Jaclyn and Scott direct the volunteers to various sections in Rose Hill Cemetery to clear debris, wash gravestones, and reset them.

In addition to grant money, sometimes volunteers also help raise money for costly projects that cemeteries don’t have the budget to complete.  In Bloomington, Indiana, for instance, a group of actors dress in period costumes to play Bloomington residents who passed away and were buried in the Rose Hill Cemetery.  As they stand next to the gravestone, they retell the dramatic stories of the lives of people within the cemetery walls.  Of course, this takes place in October with all proceeds going to projects for the cemetery!

Volunteers can play a vital role in the maintenance of local cemeteries.  Support your local cemetery and volunteer today!  If your local cemetery doesn’t have a volunteer group—start one! 

The next Rose Hill Cemetery volunteer day in Bloomington, Indiana, is August 30th! Bring some work gloves and join in.