Before lichens and other biological growth were cleaned from the headstone in Oak Hill Cemetery, neither the name of the person buried there nor the stone’s ornamentation was clearly visible. The surface of the stone was covered in black, green and yellow growth, and cemetery records listed the headstone as “unknown.” Now, when visitors look upon the headstone, what they can clearly see is the name of Luzine Wildersen and an inscription indicating she died in 1871 at the age of 10 years, 9 months and 29 days. Atop the stone is a hand with a finger pointing upward to heaven. A collaborative project funded by a local grant, donations, and the City of Lawrence will conserve at least 53 headstones in poor condition in Oak Hill Cemetery, and dozens of volunteer hours have already helped clean more than 250 stones, including Luzine’s.
Source: LJWorld
