The Genealogy & Family History Social Network

broken gravestone

Maybe someone can help me out. My gg grandfather's gravestone is knocked over and cracked in half in the Lancaster Cemetery in Lancaster PA . I posted a photo request on "Find a grave" and the photographer who filled the request found it on the ground. It looks like it has been there for a while. He was kind enough to talk to someone he knows at the cemetery to see what could be done about it. He was told that the cemetery does not have enough money in the endowment fund to repair and reset fallen stones. He said it was up to either volunteers or the family. Does anyone know of any volunteer organizations who do this kind of thing? I am across the country so am unable to do anything myself.

Thanks!
Elizabeth

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joyce Garrott on August 25, 2009 at 12:48pm

Elizabeth, I don't know what they have around Lancaster PA, but we have a cemetery group here that goes to old cemeteries and clean and fixes MINOR issues with stones. Other than that you might try the historial society or genealogical society there. If they can't help you then you might call one of the monument companies around there and see if they could fix it and how much.

Good Luck
Joyce

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Poertner on August 25, 2009 at 1:30pm

Elizabeth,
I basically just went through the same thing. I found my ggg uncle and aunt's marker in Illinois, and I live in Missouri. The stone was knocked off it's base, unbroken (thank goodness!) and the base was deteriorating enough to where it was at an angle. I got online and found an address close to the cemetery where they were buried, and ended up calling some wonderful people, who, luckily, were into old cemeteries. These people took my name and number, and the next night, one of the cemetery board people called me, and he offered to fix the base for me, and look into getting the downed stone back on base. He ended up calling one of the monument companies in the area that had the equipment to pick up the marker, and put it back on the base for me, he redid the base of the monument so it would be level, and he put some kind of monument glue on the base to hold the marker on. I just cried when I saw it. He had done such a good job with it, and it only cost $350. He also cleaned around the marker so you could see it again. If you want to see the finished product compared to what it started out as, look at either James Botkin or Mary F. Botkin, Hacke Cemetery, Macoupin County, Illinois. Since I can't get there very often, the gentleman is going to work on another cemetery for me that has several of my people in it. Again, if you want to look, look at any of the Botkin surname in Kinder Cemetery, Hornsby, Macoupin County, Illinois.

The only other thing that I can tell you is you might check with the boy scout groups that are near the cemetery. They are usually looking for community projects or ways they can work in the community.

Good luck with your quest.

Rebecca

Permalink Reply by Donna LaVonne Senff-Mata on August 25, 2009 at 4:59pm

I hope these come out clear. They are pics. of broken headstones in the German Methodist Cemetery in Hay Creek, MN where my Great, Great Grandparents are buried. I found their stones broken as well, and managed to put them together enough to take photos of them. No one has fixed and replaced them upright as far as know.

Attachments:

MariaMeinkeStone.jpg, 51 KB
PeterStone.jpg, 137 KB

Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Graf on August 27, 2009 at 10:45am

Thank you for all the great suggestions! I didn't even think about the Boy Scouts! I am going to contact the historical society first and see what they think. At least I have a picture of it!

Thanks again
Elizabeth

broken gravestone

Replies to This Discussion

Members