CEMETERY PRESERVATION WORKSHOP
June 29, 2024 – 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sponsored by the
Williamson County Historical Society
Instructors:
Dawn Cobb, Illinois Department of Natural Resources and
John & Geni Heider, Restoration in Progress (R.I.P)

This cemetery preservation workshop will be presented in two parts by Dawn Cobb,
archaeologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and John Heider, R.I.P.,
Ltd. They frequently lecture on understanding cemeteries and the laws protecting them
as well as cemetery preservation. They also provide hands-on training for the proper
repair and resetting techniques used to fix grave markers.

Part 1 is a Power point presentation on June 29, 2024, Williamson County Historical
Society, 105 South Van Buren, Marion, from 9:30 a.m.-noon. Parking is available
directly south of the historical society. The presentation will focus on why we preserve
cemeteries, preservation laws, and the basic methods we use to do this. Our work is
mostly on the cleaning, repairing, and resetting of marble markers that are common in
nearly all cemeteries in Illinois. We will also discuss the Do’s and Don’ts of cemetery
preservation to help the audience understand why some methods will work to preserve
the gravestones and why other methods will damage them. Using improper methods
and products will lead to a loss of important information.

Part 2 is a hands-on training workshop on June 29, 2024, Barham section of Rosehill
Cemetery, IL-13/West Deyoung Street, Marion, from 1-4 p.m. Parking is available at
the cemetery. By “hands-on”, we really mean hands-on. Workshop participants will be
probing for and exposing buried grave markers, cleaning the markers, and learning how
to straighten and reset a marker. We will be working with simple tablet markers. All
participants are strongly encouraged to learn each of the methods to ensure the
continued preservation of historic cemeteries.

What you need for the workshop:
– be open to new ideas and methods
– Lunch is on your own and there are plenty of local restaurants. Please bring drinking
water, a lawn chair, and a pair of gloves. Dress for the season and wear sturdy shoes.
There are no restrooms at the cemetery.

The workshop is limited to 12 participants.
Fee: $75 per person, or $125 per same household couple.
RAIN DATE – TBD

Download your registration form by clicking here.