Chair schedules Sugar Creek workday, group seeks volunteers and equipment

The group of local cemetery volunteers set a workday for Sugar Creek cemetery on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and sought additional volunteers and equipment to handle heavy restoration tasks, the meeting chair said.

The chair told members the volunteer team must arrange stone deliveries after their longtime hauler stopped offering service. "We still need to go out to Caldwell, put a tarp down so that when he delivers it, he'll know where to put it," the chair said, describing plans to split a delivery between Caldwell and Maple Grove. She added the replacement hauler appeared unfamiliar with the local "dusty 12" stone type and required clarification before delivery could proceed.

Why it matters: the volunteers maintain pioneer-era burial grounds in the county and said some sites need heavy equipment and coordinated crews. "Sugar Creek will require extensive work," one committee member said, describing a toppled memorial encased by roots and stumps that hamper restoration.

Members flagged specific equipment needs for upcoming work: a large tripod and a 2-ton hoist for tall stones, an auger and a stump grinder to remove deep roots, and plenty of saw chains for repeated cutting. The chair said she would make sure the stump grinder is ready and will haul it to the site for the workday.

Volunteers also discussed logistics and supplies. Flags used during the last workday were exhausted, members said, and the group planned to draw from an existing 5-gallon container and several 1-gallon containers of cleaning compounds before placing any new orders. "I've gotten over 300 clean" at McCordtsville, Jackie reported, noting the scope of previous cleaning efforts.

The group confirmed an early start to avoid heat: "So Saturday, August 1 from 08:30 to 12 at Sugar Creek," the chair said. Members asked the chair to compile a definitive list of which cemeteries need new signs and to contact homeowners when required (the McNamee site was identified at about 200 South and 400 West). The chair said she would drive the sites to confirm signage needs and gather contact information.

A visitor who said their family had lived in Hancock County for more than 30 years attended the meeting and expressed interest in following cemetery expansion efforts and volunteering. "Clearly, clearly, this is also an interest for us," the chair told the visitor and invited them to join the workday.

The meeting closed after routine business; the chair noted the group's next meeting would be Aug. 3 and adjourned with thanks to attendees. Organizers said they will follow up with volunteers by email to confirm tasks, equipment assignments and any homeowner permissions required before work begins.