About Stonehugger Cemetery Restoration, LLC

Thank you for visiting Stonehugger Cemetery Restoration, LLC. The kind of cemetery restoration work we do is detailed elsewhere in the pages of this website; however, in an effort to become better acquainted, I would like to take a few moments of the reader's time here to share my feelings, philosophies and thoughts on pioneer cemetery restoration and preservation.

Much of the work we do here at Stonehugger is in pioneer cemeteries; most are more than one hundred years old and are the legacy of families that reside in the community today. My goal when I step into a pioneer cemetery is not only to restore the gravestones as close to the condition they were in when they were first set at the head of the grave, but to create thorough documentation for ongoing perpetual care. Let me explain:

In my opinion, the restoration process is not complete without gaining an understanding of the people and the families that make up our pioneer heritage. Damaged cemeteries are best reconstructed by understanding the history of the site including family lineage, how they married, the number of children they buried, what they did in life, and often how they died. This history is the thread that weaves together the story of the cemetery and the heritage of descendants who have lived on. These pioneers also become my family; my involvement becomes personal and accurate documentation is critical to our work.

While my passion is focused in the repair and restoration of cemeteries, I am also keenly interested in public education. Public awareness is essential for communities to retain an acute sense of the art, beauty, and the local history that is found in the cemeteries of their pioneer citizens. If these cemeteries are left in disrepair and ruin, they may not be here in the future and an important part of our culture will be lost forever.

Again, thank you for visiting Stonehugger. It is my heartfelt hope that you now have a better understanding of who we are and what we do. Please feel free to contact me if I can answer any questions or be of any assistance in any way with your cemetery restoration project.

Sincerely,

Helen Wildermuth
Stonehugger Cemetery Restoration, LLC