May 9, 2015

A crew of eight people started off this year's work at Fackler's Grove Cemetery on the morning of May 9, 2015. See below for photos.

May 9th Facklers Grove Cemetery work day

The Ely Community History Society is asking for volunteers to help during a work morning (9:00 a.m. to noon) at Facklers Grove Cemetery on Saturday, May 9th (rain-date will be May 16th).  Volunteers will gather at the Ely Community Center at 9:00 a.m.  The Ely Community Center is located at 1570 Rowley St, Ely, IA - it is a 2-story brown brick building on the south side of Rowley Street just after you turn off W6E (also State Street),
(google map tiny url) http://tinyurl.com/oswsrel

Work will include general spring clean-up, picking up sticks, clearing growth in the fence line, identifying and clearing gravestone areas, and cleaning gravestones. Tools to bring include shovels, digging forks, rakes, whisk brooms, stiff nylon brushes, trowels and loppers.  Wear  gloves, clothes and shoes suitable for working, and bring bug spray and water if you wish.

If you wish to help, please call Barb Horak at

Change in hours

We are changing our hours at the Archives Room.   We will now be open on most Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  However, always call ahead if you are planning a visit to do research.

We do miss some weeks, so rather than making a drive and finding us not there, PLEASE CALL! This is especially true during the summer when we spend a lot of our time working on the Facklers Grove Cemetery project.

We can also make appointments for other times if you cannot come during open hours.

Call:  Barb at (319) 848-4074 or Clary  at (319) 848-4963

Repairs

Our crew has been working on repairing bases and stones.  Three repaired bases with head stones are now back where they should be in the cemetery.  Below shows a repair on a base before it was placed in the ground.  The second photo shows a grave stone re-attached to its base with supports to hold it in place.

July 20, 2014

Three of us ECHS members went out to the cemetery this afternoon.  As discussed in older posts, many headstones were moved away from their original position some time ago.  Our intent today was to work on figuring out what headstones matched which empty bases that we had uncovered during previous work days.   We made some progress, but there is a long road ahead of us to restore what we can of the grave yard.

While we were working we noticed that we had an on-looker - a red fox.  He wandered in and watched us for awhile, but the click of my camera scared him away. It was 82 degrees, but the cemetery was breezy and pleasant today.
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We have been finding some news about the cemetery in on-line old newspapers from Mount Vernon and Lisbon.  Here are a few things we have found.

1898-08-12- Mount Vernon Hawk-Eye, page 8
Born:  to Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Zobal, Friday, a girl.  The child only lived about twenty-four hours.  The mother is doing as well as could be expected.  The babe was buried on Sunday afternoon in the cemetery in Fackler's Grove.  (From cemetery list:  Zobel, Clara E. – b. 5 August 1898; d. 6 August 1898)   Clara E. Zobel listing at Find-a-Grave

1898-11-25 - Mount Vernon Hawk-Eye, page 8
Mr. Ferdinand Kershner of Marion was in the grove taking the measurements for a new fence at the cemetery. 

1899-02-10 - Mount Vernon Hawk-Eye, page 8
On the 1st of Feb. occurred the death of Michael Fackler at the home of his brother Samuel.  Brights disease was the cause of his death.  The funeral was conducted by W. H. Fackler at the house at one o'clock on Friday.

Aunt Sallie Startzer was unable to get to the funeral of her brother Michael on account of a wreck on the railroad at Grand Junction, where she is staying, and no train went east in time for her to get here for the funeral.

(Obituary on the same page) 
     Michael Fackler, whose death is recorded in these columns, was born in Ohio, June 14th, 1828, and came with his parents to Louisa county, Iowa, in 1852 and shortly after came to Fackler's Grove where they took up a large tract of land and Michael has lived in or near the Grove ever since.  He never married therefore never enjoyed the pleasures or bore the burdens of marrying and rearing a family.  He lived alone most of the time until about three months ago when on account of failing health he came to live with his brother's family, who tenderly nursed and cared for him.  The greater part of the time he had to be helped from one part of the house to another, and altho he was a great sufferer he never complained and until a day or two before his death he had hopes of recovery.  He often showed by words and actions that he was grateful to them for what they did for him.  In spite of the exceeding cold a large crowd of friends assembled at the home of Samuel Fackler, Sr., to take the last look at all that remained of "uncle Mike," as he was familiarly known.
     Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Fackler express their sincere thanks to the friends and neighbors who so kindly assisted them in the last sad duties to their brother.  (From the cemetery list:  Fackler, Michael; d 1 Feb 1899; 70 years 8 months) 

Michael Fackler listing at Find-a-Grave

1899-09-27 page 8 - Mount Vernon Hawk-Eye
The Varnholt boys set up a fine monument on the grave of their father in Fackler's Grove cemetery on Friday.