This is a PRIVATE website owned by John Skakel. Contact us HERE
Cemeteries Office Staff have asked that users NOT contact them with questions directly.
Updates on work needed, etc
First off, please note. If you go to an area and find gravel is gone, please just go to another area like A or E, and uncover any stones you find that are close to covered without raising them. That way you always have something to do on site.
Ward G and Old St Anthony's
We are working along the creek in Old St Anthony's, and have the area near the bend in the creek nearly completed. Volunteers have also been working in the area inside the "circle". We will gradually work through that Catholic section. Similarly we are working in nearby Ward G of the Protestant Cemetery. This is the narrow area between the two roads and right next to Old St A's. We ask that workers only unearth things that they can gravel on that day if possible if they are deeply buried. Thus we will not make any "trip hazzards" that day in the cemetery. It is extremely important that we keep to that rule.
Catholic and protestant sections. If you drive down to the St Anthony's Mortuary. The gray stone building at the back of the cemetery. At the back of that building you will see a sign identifying the boundary between the old Protestant and Catholic sections. If you then return to the front you will find that you can see that sign, and will be able to roughly tell where the boundary is. Don't worry if you don't have the boundary exactly correct. Please remember though that the narrow band of plots between the two roads is a combination of Protestant and Catholic. You can see a line of trees approximately on the line.
We will probably be working this area for a minimum of two years.
Ward B
(Updates on Ward B)
Ward B is now pretty much completed. We will be returning this year though to do a tiny bit of prodding for stones known to exist, repairing things not completed last fall, etc.
Our main thrust this year will be directly behind "B" in "G" and O. That is the area where the large King stones are located.
Ward A
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT that we have a number of people working in "A". We are not going to get there for a long time and in the mean time stones are disappearing there at a fast rate. When that is done we need to go to "E", etc. This is really the most important work in the cemetery at the moment. See below.
Throughout the cemetery there are stones that are close to being covered with sods, etc. It is extremely important that we uncover those so that they do not disappear before we get to them. For details on how and where to do this please contact John or Bruce at numbers below. The main thing though is to dig around the stone with a tool that will not scratch the stone. For instance cut around the stone with an old knife. Then, simply peel the sod off of the top of the stone. It will come easily unless the stone is cracked or broken. NEVER use the shovel against the stone on top to peel the sod off. We MUST do everything possible to avoid metal contacting the stones and scratching them. IMPORTANT. If you dig out a stone that is fairly deep, please keep the sides slanted to the point of being almost level with the ground, and try to keep the soil around the stone level with the stone itself. At the very front of Ward A is a great example that Volunteer Ann S did. Making the edges almost parallel to the ground that way will reduce the chances of anyone tripping on them. Also, if you find a stone that you cleared seems very deep and a "Trip hazzard", please make it known to the people who know how to do such safety repairs, such as Peggy, Trish, Bruce. Then we can make certain that it is fixed immediately.
Probably 20 to 30% of stones in Ward A need to be straightened or repaired in some way. Many are possible to do. Many are not due to them being just too heavy. It is unlikely we will do huge amounts of prodding in this area although it might make sense to do some in some areas.
If anyone wishes to do some straightening in this area that is also possible. Please beware that many stones there are extremely heavy. Please work safely. For the moment we will not do any concentrated work here as we are moving to the other side of the ditch first. The main thrust of work in "A" MUST be to uncover as many stones as possible that are gradually being covered with sods.