I've been on your site for 2 or 3 years and enjoy reading of your activities
in Indiana. Thought I would advise you of a major program with an old
cemetery in our little town. Ste. Genevieve is an old, small city on the
Mississippi River; we go back to 1735-150 time period in the American
frontier. In the 2nd half of the 1700's we were the "capitol" of the Upper
Louisiana Territories.
Memorial Cemetery was first opened somewhere around 1785 and closed around
1880. There was no more room. Ownership over the years passed to the
Catholic Church in Ste. Genevieve then onto the city. It suffered much
vandalism: stones toppled, iron crosses removed, grave markers removed and
used for sidewalks/patios (they would lay the markers face down). One of the
many interesting facts of this cemetery is that early settlers: Spanish,
French, American, Native American & Afro Americans are buried here.
Several years ago the city asked/gave permission to one of the local
organizations, The Foundation for Restoration of Ste. Genevieve, to rehab
Memorial Cemetery. We have cleaned up much of the overgrowth, raised money
to erect an iron fence around the perimeter, the old fence was put up by the
WPA back in the 1930's and was of a heavy gauge chicken wire construction.
We have now a complete survey of all the existing graves, done a ground
penetrating radar study of about 50% of the ground in an attempt to define
burial plots, had a landscape plan developed and are about to begin monument
restoration. Several years ago we applied for and received a "Save
America's" grant of almost $150,000 which we have to match; we are actually
pretty close to meeting the match - have until the end of September to raise
another $15-20,000. To complete the restoration will require much more
money. A new and major fund raising campaign is now being developed.
The Foundation and all of Ste. Genevieve is very proud of this effort. If
any of yopu are travelling west, please put our city on your itinerary and
stopp in for a visit. Feel free to contact me.
regards & keep up ypur good work, John