The Ely Community History Society is pleased to announce that we are the recipient of a $200.00 grant from the State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries (SAPIC). The grant is to be used toward the Fackler's Grove Cemetery Project.
SAPIC was formed in 1996 as a result of legislation that allowed for each of Iowa's 99 counties to create a County Cemetery Commission. The focus of these Commissions was to rescue untended pioneer graves and cemeteries and to take responsibility for the upkeep of such sites. Iowa law defines a Pioneer Cemetery as one in which there have been 12 or fewer burials in the past 50 years.
Please visit the SAPIC web site to find out more about this organization.
The last burial at Fackler's Grove Cemetery was in 1917, so it qualifies as a pioneer cemetery. You may view known burials in the cemetery at the Find A Grave web site.
Welcome to the Ely Community History Society! ... Our mission is to collect and preserve the history of Ely, Western, Shueyville, and nearby rural areas in both Linn & Johnson Counties.
7/22/2013
7/15/2013
Information meeting
ECHS will hold an informational meeting in the lower level of the Ely
Community Center on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The Center is
located at 1570 Rowley Street in Ely.
All interested parties are
invited to attend to learn about the Fackler's Grove Cemetery Project.
For information call Clary Illian at (319) 848-4963 or Barb Horak,
848-4074.
Unknown photos
Attached are two unidentified postcards that have the back that appears to be from the 1907 - 1914 era. One is of a classroom,
and the other is of some men who have been working in the fields. You are welcome to share these to see if anyone might have any info on who or where they might have been taken.
The other attachment is a family photo that is not labeled and we do not recognize. Please feel free to share that one also. These were all from photos my grandmother Libbie had, so they are from the Erenberger-Kust-Trpkosh family. The Kust family lived on Jappa Road.
- Julie Brouwer
The other attachment is a family photo that is not labeled and we do not recognize. Please feel free to share that one also. These were all from photos my grandmother Libbie had, so they are from the Erenberger-Kust-Trpkosh family. The Kust family lived on Jappa Road.
- Julie Brouwer
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| Could this be the old Jappa School since the family lived nearby? |
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| Farm scene near Ely, IA |
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| A wedding - people unknown. Please help identify. |
Tracks in the Night: Murder of Edward Moore
by Nancy Bowers
6/24/2013
Progress Report and Upcoming Meeting
June 1, 2013
Boy Scout, Sam Wertz, members & supporting adults of the Red Cedar District, Hawkeye Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, volunteers and Ely Community History Committee members gathered at Fackler's Grove Cemetery on June 1st to begin the long-needed clean-up of the grounds. Sam Wertz has chosen this to be his Eagle Scout Project.
The scouts and their families and friends did an outstanding job. They were well organized, prepared for the work that needed to be done, and there was lot of work! There may have been some moments of "What did we get ourselves into," when the workers pulled up and saw the chest high grass!
Below are some photos of the work in progress.
- Identify unmarked grave locations
- Locate markers or bases buried under the sod
Ely Community History Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 191
Ely, IA 52227
The ECHS is a not-for-profit organization.
Boy Scout, Sam Wertz, members & supporting adults of the Red Cedar District, Hawkeye Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, volunteers and Ely Community History Committee members gathered at Fackler's Grove Cemetery on June 1st to begin the long-needed clean-up of the grounds. Sam Wertz has chosen this to be his Eagle Scout Project.
The scouts and their families and friends did an outstanding job. They were well organized, prepared for the work that needed to be done, and there was lot of work! There may have been some moments of "What did we get ourselves into," when the workers pulled up and saw the chest high grass!
Below are some photos of the work in progress.
Click the images to enlarge them.
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| A rather daunting look at the lush growth of weeds and ditch lilies before work started. |
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| Work in progress |
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| Lots of foliage to remove! |
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| Above and below: photos of the "after" |
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| They also removed a lot of brush and felled one dead tree. |
June 15, 2013
The second Eagle Scout
work day on June 15th at the cemetery also went very well and a lot of work was accomplished. The scouts and volunteers continued clearing grass and brush and mowed the part they had done June 1st again. They
also hauled all the wood from the felled tree to a nearby ravine.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
The Ely Community History Society will be meeting with an expert on ground penetrating radar to learn about the technology and decide if it will be worthwhile to use his services to do a survey of the grounds. GPR is non-invasive so no graves or stones would be disturbed. A survey could help us with the following:- Identify unmarked grave locations
- Locate markers or bases buried under the sod
- Result in a "map' of his findings
Upcoming Informational Meeting
ECHS will hold an informational meeting in the lower level of the Ely Community Center on Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The Center is located at 1570 Rowley Street in Ely. All interested parties are invited to attend to learn about the Fackler's Grove Cemetery Project. For information call Clary Illian at (319) 848-4963 or Barb Horak, 848-4074.
If you wish to donate toward this worthy project, please send your check with "Fackler's Grove Cemetery Project" in the memo line to:
Ely Community History Society, Inc.
P.O. Box 191
Ely, IA 52227
The ECHS is a not-for-profit organization.
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