Grave News

April 2006

Page 17

From the Ottumwa Courier, March 20, 2006: "Historic preservation part of civic responsibility," by Jeff Hutton. A fire set by vandals destroyed the historic log Mars Hill Church last winter is a reminder that we should not take for granted or forget the importance of the past. The church, along with other buildings, monuments and memorials, are representative of our collective history. Thanks to Beverly Bethune, chair of the Wapello County Pioneer Cemetery Committee (WCPCC), one is reminded that cemeteries, especially pioneer cemeteries, are just as valuable and need to be protected and maintained. Since 2000, when it was  founded, WCPCC has staged at least one preservation project or workshop each year and has located and mapped several of the neglected cemeteries in Wapello County. They plan to work on the Sterner, Myrick, Brumsey Family, Agency (old end) and McGlothlen Cemeteries this summer.