Volunteer Efforts Restore Chesterton Cemetery After Storm

The Chesterton Cemetery faced significant debris removal challenges following the August 11 derecho storm. Manager Chery Bachman lauded the volunteer involvement as invaluable. “It’s priceless,” she said, highlighting the importance of community volunteers. Many have returned to help daily.

Volunteer John Goodloe participated in the efforts, removing branches alongside members of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), William Henry Harrison chapter. Their work included raking leaves, hauling limbs, and managing other tree-related tasks to restore the cemetery on September 10, 2026.

Sherry Taylor, the chapter’s regent, referred to the endeavor as rewarding, emphasizing the need to maintain the historic section of the cemetery. Her husband, Mike Taylor, operated a chainsaw to remove parts of a large fallen maple tree. “The tree’s resting on one marker and damaged another one entirely,” he said. Despite the damage, Mike took care to avoid further harm to nearby gravestones.

The big stones are kind of keeping it off the smaller stones, he noted as he arranged logs to shield smaller markers while cutting the tree trunk and large limbs.

Diane Schweitzer, a past regent, viewed her participation as supporting family heritage. “I have family here, and I plan to join them eventually,” she pointed out, indicating an area in the cemetery. The DAR often dedicates volunteer hours to cemetery preservation, cementing its role in safeguarding historic sites.

John Goodloe noted the fallen maple might predate the cemetery’s first grave, given its estimated age. With graves in the area lacking markers, he expressed a desire to identify them, contemplating the use of his 3-D printer to create markers in the future.

Bachman, who manages the cemetery that dates to 1838, appreciated the volunteers clearing tree debris. She had been in the office during the storm’s initial assault and witnessed several trees fall in what she described as a domino effect. Fortunately, no one was injured despite the damage to the office building.

The clean-up efforts have already spanned a month, yet Sherry Taylor anticipates several more weeks of work. Meanwhile, the debris has harbored mosquitoes and unusual insects, Bachman observed, noting the diversity of creatures encountered amid the fallen leaves.