About 60 GE Aerospace employees and members of the Vermont Old Cemetery Association came to Rutland’s evergreen cemetery to restore dozens of graves that have gone untouched for years. The cemetery is historic, holding the remains of veterans dating back to the Revolutionary War. The cemetery also holds the grave of former Governor John Mead who died over a century ago. Volunteers sprayed, scrubbed, and leveled headstones to increase their visibility again. “Cemeteries are becoming historical sites, and you can’t talk about Ethan Allen or Roberts Rangers or any of the history of Vermont without talking about the people who are buried in the cemetery,” VOCA President Tom Giffin said. Multiple people who worked on the graves have family buried in the cemetery. After the restorations, Maggie Daley visited her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents to give their stones a cleaning. “They’re close to work. I drive by it every day, and I stop in and take care of their stones and make sure they’re all looking good,” Daley said. There are volunteer opportunities around the state for those who want to get involved.
About 60 GE Aerospace employees and members of the Vermont Old Cemetery Association came to Rutland’s evergreen cemetery to restore dozens of graves that have gone untouched for years.
The cemetery is historic, holding the remains of veterans dating back to the Revolutionary War. The cemetery also holds the grave of former Governor John Mead who died over a century ago.
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Volunteers sprayed, scrubbed, and leveled headstones to increase their visibility again.
“Cemeteries are becoming historical sites, and you can’t talk about Ethan Allen or Roberts Rangers or any of the history of Vermont without talking about the people who are buried in the cemetery,” VOCA President Tom Giffin said.
Multiple people who worked on the graves have family buried in the cemetery. After the restorations, Maggie Daley visited her parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents to give their stones a cleaning.
“They’re close to work. I drive by it every day, and I stop in and take care of their stones and make sure they’re all looking good,” Daley said.
There are volunteer opportunities around the state for those who want to get involved.
