Milam County Historical Commission
Milam County, Texas
Milam County, Texas
All Credit for this article
goes to Mike Brown
and the
Rockdale Reporter
goes to Mike Brown
and the
Rockdale Reporter
Grave comments
Editorial - Mike Brown
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-07-30
Volunteers pitched in to rehabilitate Rockdale’s oldest cemetery
It’s been quoted here many times that the best definition of a volunteer is someone who does for free a job you could never pay them enough to do.
If you want a textbook example of that, cast a glance to the east next time you cross the Union Pacific tracks on Main Street.
Rockdale’s Old Cemetery didn’t get its name on a whim. It’s old. There are Civil War veterans buried there, along with a victim of Rockdale’s worst fire ever, in 1888, and people for whom our streets, even communities, are named.
Last year at this time it was a mess. Toppled gravestones, tree limbs, broken fences and a general run-down appearance. Today it’s a showpiece. What happened?
A lot of hard work by a lot of dedicated people Jack and Beth Brooks organized a group of volunteers, including RHS students and Girl Scouts, for cemetery workdays. City of Rockdale crews joined.
By the time the Earth Day cleanup came around, the momentum was unstoppable. The Crown Garden Club made the cemetery its pet project. The Rockdale Chamber of Commerce joined in as did numerous businesses and individuals.
The cemetery’s new showpiece is a gazebo erected on the site of a long-gone city water tower. It shares the entrance with landscaping, flowers and new steps.
Yvonne Yount, Crown Garden Club president, thanked all who helped and added “volunteers are a big part of what makes Rockdale a great place to be.”
Indeed! Thanks, everyone.
M.B.
.
Editorial - Mike Brown
Rockdale Reporter - 2015-07-30
Volunteers pitched in to rehabilitate Rockdale’s oldest cemetery
It’s been quoted here many times that the best definition of a volunteer is someone who does for free a job you could never pay them enough to do.
If you want a textbook example of that, cast a glance to the east next time you cross the Union Pacific tracks on Main Street.
Rockdale’s Old Cemetery didn’t get its name on a whim. It’s old. There are Civil War veterans buried there, along with a victim of Rockdale’s worst fire ever, in 1888, and people for whom our streets, even communities, are named.
Last year at this time it was a mess. Toppled gravestones, tree limbs, broken fences and a general run-down appearance. Today it’s a showpiece. What happened?
A lot of hard work by a lot of dedicated people Jack and Beth Brooks organized a group of volunteers, including RHS students and Girl Scouts, for cemetery workdays. City of Rockdale crews joined.
By the time the Earth Day cleanup came around, the momentum was unstoppable. The Crown Garden Club made the cemetery its pet project. The Rockdale Chamber of Commerce joined in as did numerous businesses and individuals.
The cemetery’s new showpiece is a gazebo erected on the site of a long-gone city water tower. It shares the entrance with landscaping, flowers and new steps.
Yvonne Yount, Crown Garden Club president, thanked all who helped and added “volunteers are a big part of what makes Rockdale a great place to be.”
Indeed! Thanks, everyone.
M.B.
.