Cemetery project, 2020
The cemetery in September 2019
The current project of maintaining and protecting the site of the historic St. Joseph Mission and the cemetery containing the graves of many 19th century settlers in this region began in the spring of 2020. I had noticed a couple comments on cemetery websites in reference to the St. Joseph cemetery. One stated something along the lines of "There are two Catholic churches in Niles, and yet no one seems to care [about St. Joseph cemetery]." The other referred to the cemetery not as a "cemetery" but as a "ruin". These comments annoyed me and made me a bit angry. But I couldn't get beyond the fact that, to a certain extent, they were right. This location needed a lot of attention.
The months-long lockdown that came with the Corona Virus pandemic of 2020 left me with a lot of time on my hands. I thought at very least I could clean some of the filthier monuments at the old cemetery. Watching dozens of videos on Youtube concerning cleaning old marble stones, I soon knew what to do, and got the materials with which to do it. One thing led to another and I soon was typing into the Youtube search box "How do you repair marble headstones".
One important fact came to light in the midst of my research on this historic spot: it was never the case that "nobody cared". Many people over the years have made efforts to maintain and protect the aging stones of the cemetery. Mrs. William Brothers was a name that often showed up in articles in the 1960s as a person who was generally concerned with the welfare of the site. She led a full scale effort that included the Knights of Columbus, the Boy Scouts and even volunteer National Guard troops in clearing brush, removing garbage, repairing stones. This effort culminated with the erection of the Michigan Historic Marker in 1964.
A number of other names could certainly be mentioned including Louis Hradel, Marty Daly, Joseph Vreden, Bob Herrmann, Bill Wozniak, Vic Gutchenritter and possibly many more who have taken the time to mow, clear away fallen branches, and repair fallen stones.
The problem of upkeep at this location is many faceted. Firstly, it is somewhat off the beaten track. Possibly many people seeing the narrow drive leading back into the woods turn around and never bother to venture forward. It is therefore easily ignored by most people. Secondly, vandals have caused a great deal of trouble in the cemetery over the years. Apparently there used to be quite the party spot on the riverbank years ago before the current homes existed at the end of Madeline Dr. Intoxicated with beer and God knows what else they wandered into the cemetery to cause mischief. Thirdly, time, weather, tree roots and moss have slowly taken their toll, especially on the rather fragile marble stones. All of it added together makes for a rather daunting task. Luckily, I think it is the case that many people do care, they just need to know what to do and be organized to do it.
Fr. Christian Johnston
Sept. 29, 2020
Feast of the Archangels
The months-long lockdown that came with the Corona Virus pandemic of 2020 left me with a lot of time on my hands. I thought at very least I could clean some of the filthier monuments at the old cemetery. Watching dozens of videos on Youtube concerning cleaning old marble stones, I soon knew what to do, and got the materials with which to do it. One thing led to another and I soon was typing into the Youtube search box "How do you repair marble headstones".
One important fact came to light in the midst of my research on this historic spot: it was never the case that "nobody cared". Many people over the years have made efforts to maintain and protect the aging stones of the cemetery. Mrs. William Brothers was a name that often showed up in articles in the 1960s as a person who was generally concerned with the welfare of the site. She led a full scale effort that included the Knights of Columbus, the Boy Scouts and even volunteer National Guard troops in clearing brush, removing garbage, repairing stones. This effort culminated with the erection of the Michigan Historic Marker in 1964.
A number of other names could certainly be mentioned including Louis Hradel, Marty Daly, Joseph Vreden, Bob Herrmann, Bill Wozniak, Vic Gutchenritter and possibly many more who have taken the time to mow, clear away fallen branches, and repair fallen stones.
The problem of upkeep at this location is many faceted. Firstly, it is somewhat off the beaten track. Possibly many people seeing the narrow drive leading back into the woods turn around and never bother to venture forward. It is therefore easily ignored by most people. Secondly, vandals have caused a great deal of trouble in the cemetery over the years. Apparently there used to be quite the party spot on the riverbank years ago before the current homes existed at the end of Madeline Dr. Intoxicated with beer and God knows what else they wandered into the cemetery to cause mischief. Thirdly, time, weather, tree roots and moss have slowly taken their toll, especially on the rather fragile marble stones. All of it added together makes for a rather daunting task. Luckily, I think it is the case that many people do care, they just need to know what to do and be organized to do it.
Fr. Christian Johnston
Sept. 29, 2020
Feast of the Archangels
