A request for grant information has brought the David City Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to Seward County.
Actually, the chapter already includes members and activities in Seward, Butler and four other counties, but the inquiry from Seward County Commission Chair Misty Ahmic has led members to take a look at the 17 abandoned cemeteries spread across the county.
Mary Dolan, chapter regent, on Nov. 26 briefed the commissioners on the program the DAR offers when assisting communities with their abandoned cemeteries, laying out a strategy to first set sustainable cemetery maintenance standards, identifying and digitizing cemetery records and applying some TLC to repair or replace headstones to respectfully honor those buried there.
Dolan said in a later interview that DAR cemetery grants require matching fundraising dollars so clearly identifying standards, needs and the funds needed to bring the cemeteries up to that level are key steps before applying for funds.
On Dec. 3, the commissioners revisited Dolan’s information and decided that Seward County’s abandoned cemeteries should each have a green “abandoned cemetery” sign at the entrance and a fence on the cemetery perimeter. To keep maintenance relatively low, they informally agreed that benches and other planting would not be added to the cemeteries.
Commissioners will be contacting the Seward County Extension and 4-H programs to explore options to have groups adopt specific abandoned cemeteries, Ahmic said.
It would not be the first time 4-Hers were involved with the cemeteries. Dolan said Seward County 4-H-er Nolan Eickhoff in 2019 compiled information about the 17 cemeteries as part of his 4-H Diamond Clover project.
Dolan said members of her chapter have already walked the cemeteries, photographing and recording information on the graves and the condition of gravestones and fences. Over the winter, they will tap into local and other research about the people buried in the cemeteries and put together information on the budget and material needs of each cemetery.
Plans can include repairing and reseating broken head stones, replacing missing headstones, and applying for the small white veterans’ headstones when appropriate.
Dolan said the goal is to assure the deceased are respected and honored, and that any living family members would be able to find them. Doing this work will also be preparation for raising funds to provide a match if the county seeks a DAR cemetery grant.
Dolan said they hope others from Seward County will volunteer to help, which could include groups or individuals interested in the history and genealogy of the area. Those interested in helping can contact Dolan at davidcitychapternsdar@gmail.com.
The Seward County cemeteries include as few as a single grave to more than 50. Some were originally on a family farm and some affiliated with a church or community.
The cemeteries included are: Oak Grove, Union, Neujahr, Valley View, Dry Creek or Wildcat Hollow, Blue Ridge or Dewitt, Mt. Carmel, Evangelical Zion, First Methodist, Prairie Grove, Knob Hill, Leonard, Walnut Creek, Engelhaupt, One Grave, Goldhammer and West Mills.
The work is part of a wide array of activities the DAR takes on, Dolan said, as it seeks to preserve history, advance education and patriotism.
Membership in the organization is open to women who are direct lineal descendants of persons who fought or had other involvement in the American Revolutionary War, which could include those who fed troops or paid taxes in support of the American movement.
The group’s other activities include promoting education through scholarships, education programs for people seeking to become American citizens, Native American education programs, supporting troops and veterans, displaying flags on Memorial Day and preparing for the 250th anniversary celebration of the country in 2026.
