October 10, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
The Smithville Town Cemetery is in need of attention and this year members of local Girl Scout Troop 750 have taken on a repair and clean up effort there as they work toward obtaining a Silver Award.
The historic cemetery has also drawn the attention of the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation who will be conducting a free workshop in Smithville on Saturday, October 20th.
Center research professor Stacey Graham will present information about historic cemeteries in Tennessee starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Smithville City Hall. Afterwards, participants will learn proper techniques for cleaning tombstones and then experience the hands-on portion of the workshop by scrubbing tombstones themselves.
In the following public service announcement being aired on WJLE, members of Girl Scout Troop 750, Leah Hayes, Katherine Gassaway, Zoe Cripps, and Katie Patterson invite you to join them for this event.
“Hello everyone. We are here from Girl Scout Troop 750 and have some important questions for you.
Who takes care of the cemetery where family and friends are buried?
Are the headstones intact and readable?
Are the grounds maintained as well as you would like?
For everyone concerned about maintaining the resting place of loved ones, we may have some answers. On Saturday, October 20, Dr. Stacey Graham and a group of students from MTSU will be in Smithville. They represent the Tennessee Center for Historic Preservation and will present a seminar followed by a hands on workshop at the Smithville Town Cemetery.
Our Girl Scout Troop will have a tent set up on site at the cemetery for the work being done and provide water for everyone. We will have some interesting and fun fact sheets about the cemetery. There will also be a cemetery scavenger hunt for local scouts to try out and they will receive participation patches.
So how do you participate?
Mark your calendar for Saturday, October 20. Join us from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in the community room at the Smithville City Hall for a visual presentation.
We will break for lunch then meet at the Smithville Town Cemetery at 12:30 p.m. for hands on demonstrations. Visit our tent for a history lesson and a scavenger hunt. Remember all scouts who participate in the scavenger hunt will receive a fun patch.
So come join us for a day of information and fun”.