BROOKINGS – The storm-battered Greenwood Cemetery in southwest Brookings has been on the receiving end of a lot of help lately.
The derecho that struck the city and surrounding area on May 12 heavily damaged the iconic nondenominational cemetery, which traces its roots back to the early 1880s. The storm toppled massive trees or sheared off their tops. Huge root balls were torn from the ground. And, worst of all, some headstones were damaged or destroyed as well.
Fortunately, people and groups have been stepping up to lend a hand, so much so that volunteers are being asked to take a break for the time being.
“Many thanks to all who helped with the cleanup effort at Greenwood Cemetery this week. Your efforts are greatly appreciated and have been very effective. In fact, the Greenwood Cemetery caretaker asked that we suspend cleanup efforts until after Memorial Day and until further notice,” according to a Wednesday afternoon post on the Greenwood Cemetery Facebook page.
“More large trees need to be removed before volunteers are needed. Please watch for further updates on cleanup status after Memorial Day. Thank you again for your faithful service to the Brookings community,” the post continued.
Dan Billet is the cemetery’s sexton, a position that takes care of the graves and maintains records.
“We’ve been getting real good community support from a volunteer standpoint,” Billet said.
The 4-H community in Brookings County and Teen Challenge of the Dakotas have already sent volunteers to aid the cemetery in its cleanup efforts.
“(Greenwood is) working diligently to clean up,” Sonia Mack said. She’s the 4-H youth program adviser in Brookings County. “The amount of damage in the cemetery was shocking.”
Mack’s 4-Hers were at the cemetery on Monday afternoon, raking debris and gathering smaller branches.
“For them it was about giving back to the community,” she said. “It’s a much less daunting job to do when you have a large group of people helping instead of just one or two.”
Peg Pederson, the board chair for the Greenwood Cemetery Association, had nothing but praise for Mack and the 4-H crew.
“They’re hard workers. I wish they’d come out every day, because we’d have the place cleaned up in no time,” she said Tuesday.
The damage and destruction at the cemetery also left an impression on the Rev. Mike Gilmartin, who is the executive director of the Brookings-based Teen Challenge of the Dakotas.
“It’s a community cemetery, and seeing the damage there … you want to get it cleaned up as quickly as possible,” he said. “Remembrance and memorial are an important part of our human experience. Therefore, you want it to be pleasant and attractive.”
Billet said Teen Challenge has had 15 to 20 people at the cemetery, and Pederson praised the group’s work ethic.
“Teen Challenge has been a great help,” she said Tuesday. “They’ve been out three times for us, which we really appreciate. They’re good workers, and we’re very grateful for them.”
Billet added earlier this week, “I really appreciate all of these volunteers that are coming out to help. We’re trying to get this to look the best we can for Memorial Day.”
Challenges ahead
It won’t be easy getting Greenwood Cemetery cleaned up and repaired, but the more volunteers there are increases the odds that the recovery will be speedier. Still, Pederson didn’t downplay the challenges ahead, estimating that 100 or so trees – more than a few of them massive in nature – were downed in the storm, and that resting places were also disturbed.
“There are many gravestones damaged, uprooted or broke,” she said. “That will be a process to get those repaired.”
Ironically, she said, one of the toppled headstones was for the Storm family.
Pederson said that getting the headstones repaired and reset, the stumps grounded and reseeding – which will have to wait until fall, since that’s a better time to do it – will be a long process. She’s hoping the process will finish this year, but there’s a lot of unknowns yet, so there are no promises.
“One tree at a time, one branch at a time,” she said. “We’re doing the best we can getting the trees out and mowing in preparation for Memorial Day.”
A key part of the recovery effort involves MJ Tree Service, a business owned by Billet and his son-in-law, Matthew Zestrijan. Crews with the service have been helping with hauling out the bigger branches and tree trunks.
“They’re basically doing all the heavy stuff, including sawing, digging out root balls and cutting down broken trees, cutting up the ones that are already down,” Billet said.
He noted that people at the cemetery should exercise caution while on the grounds, especially if they’re walking near any trees, even ones that look like they’re undamaged.
Providing aid
Pederson said that, in the immediate aftermath of the derecho, the cemetery association didn’t have any volunteers come in because it was so dangerous with trees being down everywhere and with roads within the grounds being impassable.
That changed in recent days, though, with notices being put in church bulletins, PSAs airing on local radio stations, outreach taking place on social media and good, old-fashioned phone calls, Pederson said.
The efforts by the 4-H and Teen Challenge volunteers, along with some help from South Dakota State University wrestlers, have been just the tip of the spear.
Groups or individuals wanting to help can call 605-690-2588 for more information, and watch the cemetery’s Facebook page.
For her part, 4-H’s Mack plans to advocate for 4-H members to continue lending a hand if they have time beyond what was given Monday.
“I think we really made a difference,” Mack said. “That’s part of our program motto, to make the best better, to use our hands for larger service, pledging our hearts to loyalty and being contributing members of the communities we’re a part of.
“I was really grateful for the turnout. Not only did we have local 4-H kids and parents, we also had local office staff and state office staff show up to help.”
Gilmartin had similar thoughts about Teen Challenge’s contribution to the cleanup effort.
“Teen Challenge teaches men to be givers to their community,” he said. “When needs arise, we try to do our best to help out.”
Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.
