Hi folks,
I wanted to share the recent article that appeared in the Huntington
Herald-Press. Keep in mind, some of the quotes are mis-quotes, typical
of a small town paper. This article appeared on the front page of the
paper on July 9 and I hope you take it as a nice example of some
"positive press" for both the INPCRP and Project Challenge.
________
CEMETERY PRESERVATION
Project Challenge students help community save history.
By Toni Rae Mayo, Staff Writer
Trace Hinesley, resource teacher for the Huntington Couny Community
Schools' Project Challenge, found the Indiana Pioneer Cemetery
Restoration Project, directed by Scott Satterthwaite of Warren, through
its page on the World Wide Web at
http:/www.citznet.com/~ssattert/inpcrp.
As she scrolled throught information on how to put abandoned
cemteries back into shape and about the wealth of genealogical
information available that can be gleaned from them, a thought crossed
her mind.
"This program could be an innovative way for my students to merge
preserving the past, helping the community and exploring the science of
cemetery preservation," she recalls thinking.
She contacted Satterthwaite and they descussed the idea of using 20
Project Challenge students from Northwest, Andrews, Lincoln, Horace Mann
elementary schools with Satterthwaite's effort. It would be up to him
to use the students as he saw fit.
Hinesley and fellow teacher Joan Buzzard organized two work dates
for their students with Satterthwaite at the abandoned Pilcher Cemtery
on CR 600W. The students removed debris and recorded information found
in the cemetery.
"These kids were not the typical fifth-grade students," said
Satterthwaite of his experience with them. "They surprised me with
their attentiveness, genuine will to work -- not to mention how they
listened to my lecture. The kids were a good bunch to work with."
Satterthwaite, a systems analyst for United Technologies in Berne,
who resides in Warren, founded the Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries
Restoration Project a year ago, but is quick to interject, "the
motivational factor has always been genealogical research in cemeteries
on my family for the last 12 years. I wanted to be involved with an
organization that could do something that protects cemeteries. So I
founded the 'on-going' project."
Part of Satterthwaite's work involves recording the information
found on the tombstones in each cemetery. He then passes birth and
death dates, names and other data on to local libraries, the Indiana
State Library and anyone in the state's 92 counties who request
information on cemeteries he has worked in. This is where
Satterthwaite's web site comes in handy.
Satterthwaite told the Project Challenge students on the days the
worked at Pilcher Cemetery, that a cemtery restorer must, above all, be
observant.
"Before we enter a cemtery the kids must understand what is being
seen, "Satterthwaite explains. "Natural depressions are graves mounds of
weeds might be tombstones covered with debris.
"Further disturbing tombstones by walking on them continues to
detroy yet on more part of the cemetery."
"The kids really are dealing with archealogical relics that
represent where a person is resting. More harm than good can be done to
a cemetery if volunteers are not conscious of their acts," said
Satterthwaite.
Maci Dyer, Sheena Dyke and Whitney Stoffel, were three students who
found a tombstone under heavy debris. Following Satterthwaite's
instructions, they used a long steel probe to penetrate the ground to
find the tombstone that hadn't been noted on the 1960's list compile by
the Boy Scouts of names in the graveyard.
"It made me fiil unique and special when I discovered the new
tombstone," said Stoffel, an Andrews student. "Every day you hear about
so many new discovereis and its nice to know that for a change I made
one. Now I am responsible for preserving a small part of history."
Another interesting aspect of Satterthwaite's cemetery restoration
project is that he can measure the rate of a cemetery's decline by
periodic observation alone.
He explains: "Take for example the Pilcher Cemetery. In 1960
approximately 75 stones were recorded. However, today only 40 stones
exist, which indicates a significant rate of decay." explained
Satterthwaite.
The importance of the Indiana Pioneer Cemetery Restoration Project
is making abandoned cemeteries more visible and teaching a respect for
the people buried in them to our children through cemetery renovation.
"It is extremely disheartening to see the graves of our community's
founders neglected. Their tombstones are the remains of all our
heritage.
We owe them our existence. It is our job to take care of the ground
they are resting in," said Satterthwaite.
___________
Scott Satterthwaite