Help Save 120-Year-Old Gravestones At East Leland Cemetery

The Leelanau Historical Society is hosting a three-day workshop to rehabilitate and preserve the gravestones at the East Leland Cemetery.

The workshop is September 12 to September 14, held at East Leland Cemetery, Lake Leelanau, 9am to 5pm each day.

Proper gravestone cleaning techniques will be taught by Ron Kelderhouse, who has led similar workshops for Bingham Township and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Volunteers will also help clear and prune vegetation obscuring the gravesites.

Kim Kelderhouse, director at The Leelanau Historical Society says the East Leland Cemetery contains numerous early settlers of Leelanau County — including the Kahrs, Alpers, Brammer, Egeler, Spinniken families — representing a historical record and an integral part of the local heritage that must be preserved.

“The three to five stones in the worst condition are all older than 120 years,” she tells the Leelanau Ticker.

This workshop is open to 20 participants, with first priority to participants with connections to the cemetery. Sign up here. 

All participants are required to wear a mask and observe social distancing. Bottled water and packaged snacks will be provided; bring a lunch/sandwich and a camp chair. The historical society also asks that participants bring their own tools: gloves, shovel, and pruning shears.

This workshop is grant funded. Kelderhouse adds that donations to the historical society in support of future workshops “are gratefully accepted.”

Photos courtesy Leelanau Historical Society