Rex,
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/pcrpstepbystep.html
What a great idea. These steps are listed on
this page and you will find the Connecticut
Gravestone Network page for cleaning. These
folks have more years on their monuments that
Indiana or Texas.
There is also methods on the Association of Grave-
stone studies site.
I think about the only area not on that page is
covering the mower issues. I don't think anyone has
completed a page for this. Heaven know they
all need education on the mowing around the
old stones.
Other cleaning recipes are on the Toolbox page.
I think most of the links are good now.
Lois did a lot of work on these pages,
and we are thankful for her work.
Half of the restoration job is education.
The 2 books on the main page are very helpful.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~inpcrp/
L.A.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rex Kirby" <rex(a)tyler.net>
To: <INPCRP-L(a)rootsweb.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 10:31 PM
Subject: RE: [INPCRP] You won't believe this one - please help!
Shelia, Rhonda and all,
I wholehearted agree with you but the question is how. But before I
address
that issue I would like to point out what Mr. Steed in his infinite wisdom
neglected to tell his faithful readers is that after it stays that way for
a
long time it will begin to deteriorate and there is nothing you can do
about it. He should have also advised them to be sure to take plenty of
pictures while they can because in time that's about all anyone will be
able
to read.
It would appear to me that from his writing style he is somewhat educated
but evidently on other matters that have nothing to do with cemetery or
tombstone preservation. And I'm also puzzled why the Kentucky Explorer
didn't attach an editorial comment to Mr. Steed's letter pointing out at
the
very least that this method of cleaning could be detrimental to some grave
markers. Evidently they need a little education themselves and I hope you
or
someone can enlighten them.
For more years than I care to admit I have been involved in updating old
surveys or enumerations of several very old cemeteries here in East Texas
as
well as having taken on the task of attempting to photograph all military
markers in all cemeteries in the county. During this time I have
encountered two occasions of so-called cleaning by someone in a cemetery.
One involved a lady who was using what looked like an ice scrapper in
attempting to remove lichen from a granite marker. I didn't say anything
to
her because I couldn't help but think it was her husband's monument and
she
made no effort to clean any other monument. I was close enough to see
that
she wiped the monument off with a dry rag after using the scrapper. After
looking at the dates on the tomb and noticing that the wife was perhaps
not
buried there assuming the absence of a death date was indicative of that
fact, I rationalized that it was her tomb and she could do what she
wanted.
The second incident involves a cemetery with the oldest grave dating back
to
1859. Many of the old sandstone markers are extremely difficult to read
and
indeed some have names and dates I can not read and I have tried mirrors
and
lights and various angles with the sun. But back to what I encountered.
On
my way to the cemetery one day I happened to stop at a nearby service
station for gas and a cold drink. While there I overheard a conversation
between two guys who obviously knew each other well. One of them asked
the
other one what had he been up to. Simple question until I heard his
answer.
He said well he had a little time off so he had just finished cleaning all
the monuments in this certain cemetery. This was the same cemetery where
I
was going so I was anxious to know what he had done. When I got there it
was obvious that he had power washed every monument in the cemetery
including those very old sandstone markers. In fact some of them had been
knocked over. On that particular day they looked nice but as I wondered
around I couldn't help but notice some damage from his good intentions.
Now on the education angle . . .
I would like to have a list of does and don't that could be printed on
something like a 6 x 9 card stock paper to be laminated to make it weather
proof. Most of the rural cemeteries I am familiar with have a chain link
fence around them although some do not and I believe the various cemetery
associations and/or churches would permit me to place a small mail box
near
the entrance of the cemetery to hold those cards. I would estimate that
about 99% of the folks who visit these cemeteries do not have any clue
about
caring for a monument. I would also make these cards available to all the
monument dealers and funeral homes in this area. And of course, when the
card is finalized I would submit a copy to each Historical and
Genealogical
Association in East Texas for publication in one of their monthly
newsletters. And I suspect I could obtain the endorsement of either or
both
of those organizations printed on the bottom of the card. This would
avoid
the appearance of advertisement and would be of more significance to the
general public. Since reading Mr. Steed's method of cleaning I made
several
phone calls today and found no one with a list of proper and improper
methods of caring for or cleaning monuments.
I will say there may be a list somewhere but I haven't seen one. As of
today I have not undertaken to go through the archived messages on this
board to compile such a list. I am hoping that someone a lot more
knowledgeable about this subject than I am can point me in the right
direction. It occurs to me that such a card readily available everywhere
would be one of the ways to educate the public. Many of the folks who
need
to know these things do not own a computer, do not read magazines on the
subject and never give it thought because they don't know any better.
Have you got my card yet?
Thanks for listening, er reading.
Rex Kirby
Tyler, TX
-----Original Message-----
From: Sheila Rooker [mailto:gravefinder2003@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 01, 2005 5:19 PM
To: INPCRP-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: [INPCRP] You won't believe this one - please help!
Hello All,
Hope you have all had a happy holiday. This is my 2 cents worth.
Educate,
Educate, Educate. We can't do enough to Educate.... Most people don't have
a
clue how to clean a stone. We have to stop the ones that think they do but
don't really.
Sheila
Rhonda Stoffer <rstoffer(a)marion.lib.in.us> wrote:
There is a letter to the editor in the Jan 2006 issue of Kentucky
Explorer:
Dear Editor:
Cleaning grave markers in not always a hard job. Buy a pair of
cheap rubber gloves, Brillo pads, and Easy Off oven cleaner and take
along a bucket of water and an old-fashioned scrub brush. Spray the oven
cleaner on the stone, scrub it with water and the brush, use a Brillo
pad. Leave the cleaner on the marker, do not wash off. Come back in a
few weeks and it will look cleaner. By repeating this process the stone
will look a lot cleaner and stay that way for a long time.
If you run into a tougher cleaning job, buy a cleaner that
contains acid, but be careful.
If you would like to take photos of the marker, buy some white
chalk and run it over the names and dates, then take pictures from
various distances.
James Steed
I called the magazine, the lady there said Mr. Steed had contributed
many items and photos to the publication and he was really good. I
explained that you don't use chemicals and Brillo pads on grave markers
and the damage that could occur. She said she used a power washer on her
stones, I explained the danger of that also. She also said that he
didn't specify what type of marker he was cleaning, I explained that
granite markers rarely need to be cleaned, so people would be using this
technique on marble and sandstone markers. She said if I would like to
write a letter to the editor they would be happy to print it. Is there
anyone who is more knowledgeable than I who would like to write to them?
Or, better yet, many people write to them? If not, I'll put something
together.
Charles Hayes, Jr, publisher
Kentucky Explorer
PO Box 227
Jackson, KY 41339
Thanks for your help!
Rhonda Stoffer
Head of Indiana History and Genealogy Services
Marion Public Library
==== INPCRP Mailing List ====
Quote from William Gladstone (1809-1897), three-time Prime Minister of
England and Victorian contemporary of Benjamin Disraeli:
"Show me the manner in which a nation or community
cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical
exactness the tender mercies of its people, their
respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty
to high ideals."
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Personals
Single? There's someone we'd like you to meet.
Lots of someones, actually. Try Yahoo! Personals
==== INPCRP Mailing List ====
To UNSUBSCRIBE, send message consisting only of
"UNSUBSCRIBE" to INPCRP-L-REQUEST(a)rootsweb.com
or to INPCRP-D-REQUEST(a)rootsweb.com (for DIGEST version)
==== INPCRP Mailing List ====
To UNSUBSCRIBE, send message consisting only of
"UNSUBSCRIBE" to INPCRP-L-REQUEST(a)rootsweb.com
or to INPCRP-D-REQUEST(a)rootsweb.com (for DIGEST version)