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Celebrating Oakwood Cemetery’s Mausoleum
May 30, 2019 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The Friends of Oakwood Cemetery, the McDonough County Genealogical Society and the Western Illinois Museum partner to celebrate
The 100-year Anniversary of Oakwood Cemetery’s Mausoleum
with two events, to be held on Thursday, May 30th and Saturday, June 1st, 2019
The Friends of Oakwood Cemetery, the McDonough County Genealogical Society and the Western Illinois Museum will partner to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Oakwood Cemetery’s mausoleum. Two programs have been designed to bring awareness about this architectural gem, as well as to share the history and culture around the development of park-like cemeteries at the turn of the 20th century.
On Thursday, May 30th at 6:00 pm, Western Illinois Museum will open its doors and the McDonough County Genealogical Society invites the public to tour their Research Center to learn more about their local holdings. At 7:00 pm, McDonough County Genealogical Society’s Board Member, Marla Vizdal, accompanied by WIU GIS Center’s Director, Chad Sperry will speak about their partnership in documenting local cemeteries. Their recent work has made available a wealth of new information through electronic means. They will also discuss upcoming projects and how they will benefit the understanding of our local genealogy and history. Their presentation will be followed at 7:30 pm by a talk with Dr. John Hallwas entitled, The Meaning of Cemeteries and Macomb’s Oakwood Cemetery. Hallwas is an accomplished author and sought after speaker whose 2012 book, Here to Stay, documents the many stories of people buried in Oakwood Cemetery through a unique approach to local history. His presentation will delve into the circumstances that fostered customs of remembering the dead and showing respect through monuments, beautification, and community events.
The second program held on Saturday, June 1st, will be a walking tour of Oakwood Cemetery led by historian John Hallwas, who will be joined by Oakwood Cemetery Sexton Gary Rhoads. More information can be found here.
The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 S. Lafayette Street, one block south of historic downtown Macomb, Illinois. There is a suggested $5 donation for each program. For more information, contact the museum at 309.837.2750 or info@wimuseum.org.