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Jul 18, 2009 6:38 pm US/Central
Gravestone Cleaners Of Tomorrow Train In Mpls.
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
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Gravestone restoration is delicate work that must be done by hand. It also requires expertise that's not that easy to find
CBS
Volunteers helped make a Minneapolis cemetery a better place Saturday. They provided some special services as they trained for new careers.
"This is what I love to do. This you could say would be my dream job. It makes people happy," said John Peterson, who started Grave Groomers in the Twin Cities 10 years ago.
It may seem weird to like working in a cemetery, but Peterson feels like he's providing something families need.
"Most of the cemeteries around the Cities take really good care of their cemetery. They take care of the immediate grounds of the cemetery, but most of the time the individual gravesite is up to the family member or relative of the person who passed away," he explained.
This weekend Peterson donated his services as he trains others to learn how to clean, restore, and care for gravesites. The trainees came from as far as California. They work on their hands and knees with spray bottles, scrub brushes, and special tools that resemble popsicle sticks.
Gravestone restoration is delicate work that must be done by hand. It also requires expertise that's not that easy to find, which is why the military gravesites they were working on have never been cleaned.
Carol Serie came from Sioux Falls, S.D. to train. She was impressed with the transformation after some gentle scrubbing.
"You never think about stones being cleaned. That's something -- who would think to do that? You're really in awe over it because it comes from a stone, you can't hardly read it and you're able to see it. It's beautiful," said Serie.
Gary Riggs carefully cleaned out the dirt and debris embedded inside a stone's engraving. The gravestone belongs to a World War I serviceman from a machine gun battalion. Riggs likes experiencing history as he learns a new skill.
"It's like reading from the history books first hand. There's no bias to it, it's just 'boom' there it is. It's nice. It's an interesting way to see the cycle of life," he said.
He also feels good about giving back to those who once gave so much to their country. The volunteers also raised and leveled some of the gravestones and repaired vandalism at the cemetery.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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