Fillmore, WI – A full team of volunteers will be in action April 27, 2024, as Spring Clean-Up will get underway at St. Martin’s Union Cemetery in Fillmore. This is the eighth year for the event led by Cemeterian Rex Melius.
“When I first started doing the clean ups, it in the Slinger area,” said Melius. “But it’s always been mainly Washington County because there’s so much work here.”
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“The main reason I got this event going is because of all the trees growing up around and swallowing the headstones and disassembling the graves,” said Melius.
Volunteers, armed with chainsaws and determination will trim trees, remove bushes, and repair damaged headstones. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” said Melius.
As the day progresses the cemetery will begin to transform. Trees that once threatened to consume headstones will be trimmed back, and once-neglected graves will stand tall once more.
The cleanup is not just about physical labor. It was about honoring the memory of those who came before, ensuring their final resting places are treated with the respect and dignity.
“We’re not just cleaning up a cemetery,” said Melius. “We’re preserving history, honoring those who have gone before us. It’s a community service, a labor of love.”
