Green’s Prairie Cemetery Association – Annual Report 2018

GREEN’S PRAIRIE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL REPORT to the BOARD, TOWN OF YORK
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018

David W. Green
President, Cemetery Association

Due to unexpected GPCA Board member conflicts the Cemetery Association meeting originally scheduled for September 8 ha been moved to September 15th. Officers for the coming year remain unchanged: David Green-President, Dan Gartzke-Treasurer, and Bill Kuenzi Jr.-Secretary. Directors are James McDonald-3 year term (reappointment), Charles Bauer-2 year term, and Jim Grant-1 year term.

It has been a very active year at Green’s Prairie Cemetery. Our annual burn of the cemetery was conducted on April 23, once again under the supervision of John Ochsner of the Prairie Bluff Chapter of the Prairie Enthuses. Metal shields and water were used to protect the stones from excessive heat.

On May 17 Tom Mitchell conducted a “cemetery walk” for about a dozen members of the Green County Genealogical Society. Tom talked about the history of the cemetery, the history of some of the people buried there, the veterans with markers in the cemetery, the natural history of the cemetery and the land management over the years. Tom’s presentation was well received by the Society.

Also in May we retrieved the Wisconsin Historical Marker from the Postville Blacksmith Shop where it had been stored since February. Between spring rainstorms Town Chairman Dan Reeson used his tractor mounted posthole digger to dig a three-foot deep hole for the marker. Bill Kuenzi and Dave Green then spent about three hours one Saturday morning setting the pole for the marker in cement. The marker has different information on each of its two sides and is oriented so that both sides can be read without someone having to get out of their car.
A very hot and muggy day greeted everyone at our annual Memorial Day celebration on May 28. With temperatures near 90-degrees only about 30 hardy souls showed up for the shortened ceremony. The highlight was the dedication of the historical marker. The marker highlights the establishment of the cemetery in 1838 and the three Townships that it once served, lists a few of the prominent people buried there, and also lists the thirteen known veterans with grave stones in the cemetery. The marker also highlights the natural history of the one-acre plot of deep-soil prairie, which has never been plowed.

Special presentations were made to Lyle Klosterman by Bill Kuenzi for Lyle’s former service on the Cemetery Association and by Chairman Dan Reeson for his former service on the Town Board.
Also at the celebration Dave Green talked about newly discovered information about three burials of the Crooks family in Green’s Prairie Cemetery. Death certificates confirm that Mahala (Sweet) Crooks died in 1893 and was buried in GPC. Mahala and George’s last two children, twin boys, were born prematurely in 1859 and were also confirmed to have been buried in the cemetery. However there are no surviving tombstones for any of the Crooks family in the cemetery. Mahala’s name is listed on her husband’s tombstone the Greenwood cemetery in Monroe, but they are no records showing if Mahala’s remains were moved to Monroe.

Due to the wet year Pechmann Memorials has had to delay anticipate work at the cemetery.