Just in time for Memorial Day, more than 50 volunteers turned out on May 21 to honor our deceased veterans by cleaning their headstones at Albert Cemetery, St. Mary’s Cemetery, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields Cemetery in Mountain Top.
The project, Mission: Restoring Memories, was organized by Ava Groth, a member of the Mountain Top American Legion Junior Auxiliary Unit 781, with the assistance of her parents, Stacey Acri and Ed Groth, both U.S. Navy veterans.
The Crestwood High School senior got the idea for restoring the veterans’ grave markers when she participated in “Wreaths Across America” last year. At that time, she realized that not all graves got wreaths, and many seemed to be neglected. After thinking about that for a while, Groth came to the conclusion that there probably aren’t family members around to take care of the graves of the many older veterans.
So, with the help of her parents and the support of the community, Groth organized Mission: Restoring Memories.
“I’m so excited and thankful for all those who showed up,” Groth said as volunteers spread throughout Albert Cemetery armed with sprayers and brushes.
The Groths purchased a solution known as D2 which is made specifically for cleaning headstones. Scott Hilenski, owner of Memento Mortuos LLC, a company that specializes in cleaning and restoration of headstones, demonstrated to volunteers how to apply the solution. Hilenski is president of the Mountain Top Historical Society which supported the project and several members participated. A cadre of volunteers using one-gallon sprayers went through the cemetery spraying the solution on veterans’ headstones. They were followed by others who used brushes to scrub the headstones. Hilenski noted the biological solution, once sprayed on the headstones, will continue to work on removing material for months after it is applied.
Among the volunteers were more than a dozen Crestwood High School football players who were the “scrubbers” for the project. Their participation in the project was part of the team’s commitment to be a party of the Mountain top community.
Mountain Top resident Joanne Dinoski, who participated in the cleanup along with her sister, Paula, commended Groth for her work to honor veterans. “I’m honored to be here today,” Dinoski said. “This is such a wonderful project.”
The grave markers included some deceased veterans who served with the Grand Army of the Republic in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam.
