Restorations to Zion Chatt’s Cemetery, 2015

Keeping a 150-year-old cemetery in good condition can be a challenge. Occasionally repairs to tombstones that are leaning or broken need to be made and recently several markers in Zion Chatt’s Cemetery had a face-lift, thanks to Kevin Foster of FOSCO Services, Monroe, Indiana. Zion’s Church Council initiated and followed through with the restoration project.

The work consisted of installing some new bases and resetting some leaning tombstones. Foster repaired the worst tombstones in the cemetery, those with bases that had deteriorated or collapsed, causing the markers to lean. Some of the old bases were set in stone which is not substantial enough to support a heavy marker.

The restorations, primarily on the west side of the cemetery, were done a couple weeks ago and made improvements to several markers.

Below are photos of the completed restoration work. Rows are numbered beginning on the west side of the cemetery.

Fred & Anna Heffner; Sophie Schulz, row 1.

Fred & Anna Heffner; Sophie Schulz, row 1. (2015 photo by Karen)

Romeo Brandt, row 3.

Romeo Brandt, row 3. (2015 photo by Karen)

Kuhm brother & sister, row 3

Kuhm brother & sister, row 3. (2015 photo by Karen)

 

 

Maria Berron; small unreadable stone, row 3.

Small unreadable stone; Maria Berron, row 3. (2015 photo by Karen)

Joseph & Lucinda Merkle, row 1.

Joseph & Lucinda Merkle, row 1. (2015 photo by Karen)

Anna Maria & John Becher, row 3.

Anna Maria & John Becher, row 3. (2015 photo by Karen)

 

Three stones reset in row 3: Becher, Berron, blank stone. (2015 photo by Karen)

Three stones reset in row 3: Blank stone; Berron; Becher. (2015 photo by Karen)

This would be very heavy work. Tombstones are heavy. I attended a Cemetery Restoration Workshop several years ago in Auglaize County and they used a tripod to lift and move the large tombstones. I do not know if Foster used this technique or not.

The tombstones that were leaning the most have been repaired but some additional restoration work should done in the future.

Thanks to Kevin Foster for his repair work, helping to maintain our cemetery.

4 comments

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    • Sue Allen on November 20, 2015 at 10:03 pm
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    The work looks great,really nice.

    1. Yes. He did a very good job. We are well pleased.

  1. Is there a website for Kevin Foster of FOSCO Services, Monroe, Indiana? Did he clean the monuments? If so, what did he use to clean them with? Thank you.

    1. I do not believe he has a website but you can find his contact information by doing a Google search. He did not do any monument cleaning. He just reset a few.

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