Read more about our recent St. George Workshop in this article clipped from the 12 June issue of The Courier-Gazette (pg 23).

Reprinted from the Courier Gazette 12 Jun 2014

By Brenda Seekins,

ST. GEORGE _ The preservation of old gravestones, done correctly, is a primary focus and concern to the Maine Old Cemetery Association. With that in mind, MOCA is sponsoring a gravestone preservation workshop at Old North Parish Church Cemetery, Wiley’s Corner, in St. George Me. The workshop will be held on four consecutive days, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.,daily, Friday, May 30 to Monday, June 2, 2014. Although most individuals have good intentions when cleaning and maintaining gravestones, there have been times when their methods, instead of adding longevity to the stone, have actually caused additional damage to the stone. MOCA believes it is imperative that those intending to perform any maintenance on gravestones learn the appropriate techniques and materials to use in their preservation work.

The workshop will be led by professional gravestone conservator, Joe Ferrannini, owner of Grave Stone Matters of Hoosick Falls, NY. Ferrannini’s company works with municipalities, historical societies, cemetery associations and individuals to conserve their historic gravestones and monuments.

The first two days of this 2014 workshop will include basic instruction regarding cleaning stones and straightening leaning stones. The second and third days will include more advanced techniques, such as repairing broken stones and casting new bases in which to set stones. In addition, portions of the workshop will include instruction on mapping a cemetery and setting priorities for precedence in gravestone repair. Anyone with no previous experience in gravestone maintenance should attend the first two days of the workshop in order to acquire basic skills, before moving on to the third and fourth days.

A similar workshop was held in 2011 at the Oxbow Cemetery in Norridgewock, with approximately 50 people participating. Those attending expressed appreciation for the knowledge and experience they gained: “The workshop at Oxbow Cemetery was inspiring and gave me a greater desire to care for old cemeteries. Joe Ferrannini is a great instructor, teaching you while letting you do things hands-on,” said J. Couture, Waterville.

“I attended only the first day of the Oxbow project; we spent most of the day de-brushing the cemetery borders. I helped clean an ancient slate headstone crusted with such a tough layer of lichen that I’m not sure it all came off, but I do know we cleaned properly and as well as could be done,” according to J. Wilder, Waterville

“At the workshop at Oxbow Cemetery, Norridgewock in 2011. Our lead instructor, Joe Ferrannini, was excellent; he was patient, practical, and a good teacher. I stretched my stay to three days, due to the quality of MOCA’s planning, the level of instruction by Joe, and the many intangible benefits from networking with other attendees. Everyone who attended cared deeply about the future preservation of our cemeteries; several traveled from as far away as Indiana and Alabama, “ said D. Lowell, Tenants Harbor.

There will be no set fee for participation in this workshop; however, donations for each day of participation would be appreciated. Donations will be used to cover costs of this and future workshops. If you would like to attend any portion of this event, pre-registration is required . Please send an e-mail to cwpatten@tds.net. In the subject line of your e-mail, please type ST. GEORGE. Or, you will find a combined registration and waiver form at MOCA’s website: http://rootsweb.ancestry.com/~memoca/moca.htm. This form may be printed off, completed and mailed to MOCA’s president at her Smithfield address. Those without e-mail may send a note, by U.S. Mail, addressed to: MOCA, PO BOX 641, AUGUSTA, ME 04332-0641. Please mark the lower left corner of the mailing envelope: ST. GEORGE. Upon receipt of your note of interest, you will be sent a combined registration and waiver form. This form must be completed, signed, and returned to MOCA prior to your participation in the event.

All checks should be made payable to MOCA; please mark in the memo section of your check, ST. GEORGE. MOCA is a 501(c)(3) organization; an acknowledgment of your contribution will be provided you to use for tax purposes.

Reprinted from Bangor Daily News

By Roxanne Moore Saucier, BDN Columnist

It only takes a bit of sunshine and a warm breeze to lure us to head out to cemeteries, hoping to find an informative gravestone or grouping of markers that will allow us to make sense of the names and dates we’ve been busily compiling over the winter.

Whenever you go looking around a cemetery, be sure to wear good footwear and tread carefully, keeping in mind that the ground underfoot can be uneven year-round, not only during wet springtime. Always take a cellphone if you go alone, but it’s safer for many reasons to go with someone else.

Those in the know about cemeteries, and those wanting to learn more, will benefit from joining the Maine Old Cemetery Association, “Dedicated to the Preservation of Maine’s Neglected Cemeteries.”

Founded in 1968, the Maine Old Cemetery Association publishes an informative quarterly and holds three meetings a year. This year’s gatherings will take place May 17 in Starks, July 26 in Portland and Sept. 27 in St. George.

The 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May will take place at the Starks Community Center, 57 Anson Road, Route 43. If you travel by GPS, the coordinates are -69.926 and 44.736. Admission is $3 at the door.

A 9:15 a.m. talk on “Our Town” will include a member of the Starks Historical Society, which is hosting the meeting.

Cheryl Willis Patten will speak on “Grave Matters in Starks: Cemeteries.” After, all are welcome to attend the 10:30 a.m. Maine Old Cemetery Association business meeting.

Lunch will be available at noon for $7. A choice of lasagna or veggie lasagna will be provided by Starks Enrichment and Education Society.

At 1 p.m., there will be a demonstration of “Ground Penetrating Radar Technology” at cemeteries close by.

To attend the May 17 meeting, notify Cheryl Willis Patten of your lunch choice by May 2 by email at cwpatten@tds.net, or write her at 1161 East Pond Road, Smithfield, ME 04978. You may pay at the door for your lunch, but the Maine Old Cemetery Association does need your reservation and meal selection.

This Maine Old Cemetery Association meeting offers a great opportunity for genealogists from around the state to visit and learn about cemeteries and graveyards in Starks, Mercer, Farmington and other towns. Benjamin Young of Wiscasset, one of my Revolutionary War ancestors, is buried in Mercer.

The Maine Old Cemetery Association will sponsor a four-day gravestone preservation workshop 9 a.m.-3 p.m. May 30 through June 2, at Old North Parish Church Cemetery, Wiley’s Corner, St. George.

The workshop will be led by Joe Ferrannini, a professional gravestone conservator and owner of Grave Stone Matters in Hoosick Falls, N.Y. A similar workshop was held in 2011 with 50 people participating at Oxbow Cemetery in Norridgewock.

There is no set fee for the workshop, but donations are appreciated for each day of participation. 

The Maine Old Cemetery Association website also offers information from Helen Shaw on the cemetery bill, LD 1662, regarding maintenance of veterans’ graves. For an amended copy of the bill, email Shaw at obbeditor@earthlink.net.

Membership to Maine Old Cemetery Association is $5 a year, $20 for five years or $100 for a life membership sent to MOCA, PO Box 641, Augusta, ME 04332-0641.

The next meeting of the Penobscot County Genealogical Society will be 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, in the Lecture Hall on the third floor of Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow St., Bangor. All are welcome to attend.

For information on researching family history in Maine, see Genealogy Resources under Family Ties at bangordailynews.com/browse/family-ties. Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402, or email familyti@bangordailynews.com.

Reprinted from Bangor Daily News