Flags for Our Veterans - Retrieval
Thursday, November 14, 2024
10:00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m.
Flags placed previously at the gravesites of our Veterans will be retrieved for repair and winter storage.
Meet at the Sexton's Tool House for details on how to help with this activity.
****************PRIOR EVENTS****************
Spring Community Cemetery Clean-up Day
Saturday, March 16, 2024
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Plan to join us for this Community Clean-up Day as we clean up the cemetery grounds of winter debris. Bring leaf rakes, brooms, gas operated blowers, and gloves to wear. We will be raking leaves, picking up downed branches and limbs, and sweeping off head stones. Meet at the top of the Cemetery Road near the Sexton's Tool House. Eye and ear protection is recommended.
Pre-Memorial Day Community Cemetery Clean-up Day
Saturday, May 4, 2024 CANCELLED... DUE TO COLD/WET WEATHER FORECAST
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Time to prepare the cemetery for the Memorial Day Holiday and the arrival of family, friends, and visitors. Join us and other community organizations and volunteers for our Pre-Memorial Day Clean-up. Bring gloves to wear, rakes, gas or battery operated blowers, weed eaters, and lawn mowers, and meet at the Sexton's Tool House, top of the Cemetery Road. Eye and ear protection is recommended. Great way to give back to the community by helping to care for one of Jacksonville's treasures.
Memorial Day - Flags for our Veterans 2024
Thursday, May 23, 2024
9:00 a.m.
Each year the Friends of Jacksonville's Historic Cemetery purchase flags to be placed on the gravesites of the veterans who rest in our Silent City on the Hill. Volunteers meet and walk the grounds ensuring that each veteran is honored for their service by placing a flag on their gravesite, saying their name, and thanking them for their service. The flags remain in place and are maintained until they are removed following Veterans Day on November 11, 2023.
History Saturday in the Cemetery - 2024
The second Saturday of the month on May 11, June 8, July 13, August 10, and September 14.
10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Come enjoy our popular History Saturday in the Cemetery programs in Jacksonville's beautiful Pioneer Cemetery. Presentations start promptly at 10:00 a.m. and take approximately 90 minutes. We will be offering fun, informative, and interesting topics that we are sure you will enjoy. Each month a new topic will be presented followed by a short walking tour to grave sites relating to that month's topic.
This type of tour may not be suitable for the very young. No advance registration is required. Meet your Docents at the Sexton's Tool House, top of the Cemetery Road near the flagpole. Parking is available within the cemetery grounds. Please dress for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes.
There is no fee for the tours, however donations are greatly appreciated and help support our educational programs and restoration and preservation work within the cemetery.
The full program schedule for History Saturday in the Cemetery 2024 will be available under the Guided Tours section of this website once planning is complete.
Marker Cleaning Workshops - 2024
The third Saturday of the month on May 18, June 15, July 20, August 17, and September 21.
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
A very Interesting and rewarding Volunteer Project
Many grave markers are covered in moss, lichen, dirt and with time, have darkened and become quite difficult to read. Our goal is not to make them look new again, rather to help preserve them for future generations by removing foreign matter that can retain moisture which can cause the stone to crack with our annual freeze and thaw cycle.
Please plan to join us and learn the latest techniques and tools to safely clean these stones. This is a hands-on workshop so dress accordingly. Since this project began in 2013, volunteers have cleaned a total of 1,079 grave markers, along with curbing and urns, a very impressive number. You may want to bring a stool to sit on while working, sun screen and a hat. All the cleaning tools and supplies along with detailed instructions are provided. Meet at the Sexton's Tool House, top of the Cemetery Road, for instructions and to pick up supplies.
For additional information or questions, please email us at: info@friendsjvillecemetery.org
Fall Community Cemetery Clean-up Day
Saturday, October 26, 2024
9:00 a.m. to 12 noon
Join the Friends and other community organizations and volunteers for a clean-up of the cemetery grounds in preparation for winter. Bring gloves to wear, leaf rakes, pruners and gas/battery operated blowers. Eye and ear protection is recommended. Meet at the Sexton's Tool House at the top of Cemetery Road for directions to the areas where we will be working.
Meet the Pioneers
There are no plans at this time to present our special Living History program, Meet the Pioneers, in 2024 .
Individual player presentations from our previous Meet the Pioneers programs can be found on YouTube, along with several promo videos for other cemetery events and activities. Go to www.youtube.com and enter Oregon History Tales in the search box. Click on the covered wagon to view the videos.
Our appreciation to Bill and Debbie Miller for making the videos of our 2011 - 2018 programs available for us to share with you, as well as to Arlis Duncan for the videos of our 2019 and 2022 programs.
2024 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Friends of Jacksonville's Historic Cemetery
Two of our dedicated volunteers helping to remove flags following Veterans Day - November 2019