Dear Liza,
On my visits to Lone Fir Cemetery, I admire the lovely headstones. Some are more than 150 years old, others are from just a few years ago, but they all have their own style and beauty.
And many of them, sadly, are victims of time and neglect. Their surfaces have become pitted and worn, and their lettering is obscured by moss and dirt.
On my first trip to help, I took along the Friends of the Lone Fir recommended kit: Lots of water and a variety of plastic scrubbers and scrapers. I even wore gloves!
I poured on a lot of water to soften the crud, then used the plastic scraper to dislodge the heaviest moss encrustations.
More water and gentle scrubbing with a plastic brush revealed most of the lettering.
I used a wooden chopstick to get into the letters and numbers, but was frustrated by the numbers pressed into the concrete surround.
I wish they were clearer, because I’m sure they mean something. Maybe L23 and B21?
When I ran out of oomph after an hour, I was pleased with how Byrd Hanley Andrew looked, and happy that I had done something to preserve this wonderful, fragile old place.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 