Sign goes up at St. John Cemetery entrance

This new sign went up in April at the St. John Cemetery entrance.

For possibly the first time in its 138-year existence, the cemetery in St. John has received a sign at the entrance. The sign was made possible by fundraising efforts from the 2015 St. John Community Calendar and a private donation.

“It shows good community collaboration,” said Becky Dickerson, one of three directors with the St. John Cemetery District. “It shows what we can do when we work together.”

The St. John Cemetery was first incorporated in 1888 as the Pleasant Valley Cemetery Association, though the first burial there actually occurred in 1879. The name is still in the memories of some, though it was changed to St. John Cemetery in the ‘60s, Dickerson said.

“It’s more than a new name,” she said. “People cared enough about that cemetery to create a new cemetery district and honor the town’s name.”

Dickerson said there has been much confusion about the actual name of the cemetery for some time.

“The sign is to help clean up that confusion and at the same time honor the people of St. John,” she said. “This will make things right and provide this historical reference.”

Find A Grave, an online database of cemetery records, also recognizes the cemetery as the Pleasant Valley Cemetery, and Dickerson said she called it that as the editor of the St. John Community Current.

“It was a mistake I had made several times in the Community Current,” she said. “I did that thinking I was practicing historical value.”

Funds were raised for the sign through the 2015 St. John Community Calendar, which Dickerson publishes. She said volunteers helped in the effort.

“We have 20 volunteers who go house to house and ask for 10 bucks,” she said, praising the collaborative effort.

She also noted the cemetery directors were very intentional as they planned the sign. Directors include Dickerson, Greg Jordan and Karen Mills.

“We were careful that what we put up was going to be loved by generations,” she said. “It was gratifying to all of us to make sure the sign was a nod to our community. That sign will really tie the cemetery in with the community.”

It is not known if the cemetery ever had a sign, but if it did, it was a long time ago.

“If there was a Pleasant Valley Cemetery sign, we haven’t found it,” said Dickerson. “Someone may find it in their iron piles, but we’re talking generations ago.”

Dickerson also highlighted other efforts by the cemetery district to clean things up and beautify the cemetery. She noted St. John voters passed a levy for the cemetery, and the district has been hard at work to put those dollars to good use.

“Visitors to the St. John Cemetery will drive into the cemetery and see where their levy dollars went by Memorial Day,” she said.

Efforts underway include graveling the roadways, replacing the flag pole, installing new siding on out buildings and a new sprinkler system in an older section of the cemetery.

“They’ll see those improvements and they’ll know that we’re practicing due diligence,” said Dickerson.