THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
INDIANOLA — Starting at a young age, Linda Rosnett had an interest and knack for remembering people’s stories from Indianola’s past.
She attributes it to growing up around the history she’d hear with her mother and grandmother dragging her around to genealogy meetings and cemeteries. Rosnett is a retired teacher, having taught high school math, and also owned the Sidell Reporter newspaper for five years and still works there part-time.
“I was indoctrinated as a youth,” she said.
Rosnett might not remember what she did yesterday, but she’ll tell you all about former landowners and who contributed to Indianola’s history and are now buried at Woodlawn Cemetery of Indianola.
There’s so much history to be learned in cemeteries.
The Board of Trustees of Woodlawn Cemetery of Indianola, President Chad Kistler, Vice President Rebecca Miller, secretary-treasurer Rosnett (who’s been on the board for 33 years), Nancy Dalenberg, Shari Markel, Don Crist and David Green, invites the public to a celebration from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday to mark the cemetery’s Sesquicentennial, 150th year.
The cemetery is located about one mile northwest of Indianola. It has more than 4,000 burials, including 350-plus veterans. The cemetery used to have about 35 burials a year. Now it has around 15.
The celebration will start with a Patriot Guard motorcycle entry and Cub Scout Pack 221 raising the flag and leading the Pledge of Allegiance. The Hometown Band will provide music, and local Pastor David Almy will lead a prayer.
The public is invited to visit the cemetery’s newly remodeled office and welcome center that’s in a former maintenance garage. Board meetings had been conducted in Rosnett’s home garage, but they now have an air-conditioned and heated meeting room. Doug Miller, Rosnett’s cousin, who spearheaded the project, will cut the ribbon. There also will be refreshments.
Also at the celebration, Vendors Row will feature local funeral homes and monument companies. There also will be four antique hearses on display by Mike Robison of Robison Chapel in Catlin.
A history program will begin at 2 p.m. Vermilion County War Museum President Larry Weatherford and Governor Bradford Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s Paula Hurst will be talking about the cemetery’s war veterans, including Revolutionary War Soldier John Frazier and Medal of Honor recipient Ernest C. Williams.
Frazier died in Carroll Township. The Frazier graveyard no longer exists, and the DAR chapter plans to erect a memorial to Frazier at Woodlawn. Lt. Col. Williams grew up in Sidell and earned his Medal of Honor as a Marine during the Dominican Campaign in 1916. He also fought in World War II where he earned additional medals. He died in 1940.
Re-enactors will show uniforms from the Revolutionary War to World War II.
Fifty-one Civil War veterans are buried at Woodlawn. Miss Georgetown Fair Queen Paili Davis will be assisting in the reading of names of the Civil War veterans.
There also will be a gun salute and the playing of Taps by the Georgetown Legion Post 203.
Rosnett will provide the cemetery’s history followed by a walking history tour of the cemetery, with living history reenactors.
There also will be a 50/50 raffle to raise money for the cemetery, with the drawing at 4 p.m. Rosnett said the cemetery relies on donations and has 46 acres of farm ground to help with funding too. They are not tax supported.
“People just drive out to the cemetery and expect it to look nice, and they have no idea the money behind the thing and what it takes to keep something going,” Rosnett said.
In addition, a tombstone cleaning demonstration will occur using methods approved by the Veterans Administration. Rosnett said this is one of the biggest questions she receives, and there are wrong ways and rights ways to do it.
HistoryWoodlawn Cemetery of Indianola got its name when Gilbert Sodowsky died on Nov. 7, 1873, at age 23. He was buried on his family’s cattle farm, called Woodlawn Stock Farm, northwest of Indianola.
In 1874, his parents, Harvey and Susan Sodowsky, donated 4.4 acres around their son’s grave for the cemetery.
Rosnett said legend has it that Gilbert sat on the family home’s porch and remarked the farm was the most beautiful place in the world and he wanted to spend the rest of his life there. Less than a year later, he died and was buried on the farm.
The cemetery was incorporated in 1887. Two years later, the Sodowsky’s daughter, Emma, widow of James Sconce who was one of the first cemetery trustees, donated another 5.5 acres. The main entrance between the two cemetery sections was named Sconce Avenue.
At the 150th celebration, the cemetery’s new logo also will be revealed. It depicts the huge tree at the cemetery that was planted between the graves of Gilbert and Samuel Sconce, Emma’s father-in-law who died two months later.
“A large tree is very symbolic for cemeteries because it drops its needles and then in the spring it comes back to life, so it symbolizes dying and then coming back to life. That was a European custom, and they were Polish. So, I’m pretty sure that tree is probably 150 years old,” Rosnett said.
The 1.7-acre J.S. McMillan Addition (southeast part) of the cemetery was acquired in 1935. In 1978, the 3.5-acre Green Addition across the road was purchased. The cemetery’s size is now about 17 acres.
For many years, cemetery caretakers lived in a house on the grounds. The house was razed, and today, mowing is contracted.
Indianola, originally called Chillicothe, was platted in 1836, making it the third oldest town in Vermilion County. Many of the earliest settlers in southern Vermilion County had ties to this area and their families are buried in Woodlawn, Rosnett said.
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