AMEN to everything you said. I couldn't have said it better, concerning
tombstones, repair, and Walt.
Natalie Robling
Vincennes, IN
On Sun, 31 Aug 2003 00:25:48 -0500 "GTielking" <tielking(a)knightstown.net>
writes:
Francis,
I just read your comments and I am quite upset. You are probably not
on this list anymore, but I still feel I need to get this off my
chest.
I say this with respect to you because everyone is entitled to an
opinion. So I give you mine:
I am sorry that you think these precious historic headstones and
monuments are just "rocks". To me they mean more. So if anyone has
"lost the big picture", I think it is you. Headstones pay tribute to
a person and their life. They have a marker because someone cared.
They are a historical record -and may be the only record of a
person's existence.
Our job of restoring these precious monuments is not emergency room
work. We should not work fast and just do what good we can do as
quickly as possible. This would be a waste of time. Why? Then
someone else would have to follow right behind you to repair it
properly. Restoration of these markers requires time and patience to
get the job done RIGHT the first time. If you want to replace your
ggg-grandfathers stone with a shiny polished mundane granite one, go
ahead. But what a shame. In all likely hood, your grandfather's
stone could look beautiful again, and you would probably spend more
money on the granite marker than restoring the original. As for the
qualification program for cemetery restorationists, I think it is a
good idea. As for your medic example that you gave, wouldn't you
want a medic at an emergency to be qualified to work on you?
You are right - we do not own the stones. I believe the people
buried in those graves own those stones. Their great-great-great
grandchildren didn't pay for those stones - they did. You have to
take into account that families moved away or the families died off.
Someone needs to care for those stones, so we try to. We are the
caretakers.
>From just reading your letter, I know for a fact you do not know
Walt. This is not his hobby. This is his job, And those "rocks", as
you call them, are not the only thing that is important to him. The
people that rest beneath them are just as important. You tell Walt
to "get busy and do something". Did you know that he works six,
sometimes seven days a week in the cemeteries? I have never seen
anyone work as hard and diligently as he does. What drives him to
do this? Because he cares. He does share his knowledge with others
because he cares. I can't even begin to tally the countless hours
and days and weekends he has spent with me to share that knowledge.
He is invaluable to all of us. Walt is the most humble person I have
ever met. I have never known a person like him. I don't know if I
ever will. He is concerned that the restoration of these stones is
done right. He does it because he cares, enjoys his work and feels
he is doing the right thing. I respect him because of !
this.
These historic pioneer cemeteries should be restored to the best of
our knowledge. They are historic landmarks and should be treated as
such. Some of us consider pioneer cemeteries as outdoor museums. I
agree with Walt's opinion that these old markers should be treated
as the historical artifacts that they are. These markers are each
unique. They are one of a kind. I agree with your statement to "Do
some good". But to quickly repair one is foolish. So I will go back
and continue to use the warm fuzzy statement: Do no harm, and when
in doubt consult an expert.
Angela Tielking
tielking(a)knightstown.net
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