815 Stone Scrubbers | Haunted Rockford

815 Stone Scrubbers got its start in the spring of 2023 when a group of history buffs gathered for one goal – to honor local Civil War soldiers by cleaning their gravestones and researching their histories. The leader of the group, Janie Jenkin, educated herself on the proper ways to clean gravestones, facilitated donations for supplies, and received permission to clean stones at Rockford’s largest cemetery, Greenwood Cemetery. When the 2023 season started, 815 Stone Scrubbers had a lofty goal to clean and restore 458 gravestones at Greenwood. From May to October, the group got to work as they met on Saturday and Sunday mornings to scrub, scrub, scrub!

Three team members from 815 stone Scrubbers pose for a picture.

With such a great response from the community, 815 Stone Scrubbers was able to meet their 2023 goal! And along the way, the volunteers bonded over making our beautiful park-like cemetery a little prettier for the folks who stroll through Greenwood and giving thanks to our veterans who came before us. Not long after the season ended in October 2023, 815 Stone Scrubbers was honored to receive the Mary Stuart-Carruthers “Service Before Self” award from the Rockford Rotary, presented by Rockford’s Mayor, Tom McNamara.

Looking forward to our 2024 season, 815 Stone Scrubbers have already acquired permission to clean and preserve gravestones at one of Rockford’s oldest cemeteries, Cedar Bluff Cemetery. With over 200 Civil War veterans buried at Cedar Bluff, we’re surely looking forward to honoring and preserving more Rockfordian’s histories.

Want to contact 815 Stone Scrubbers?

Email them here: [email protected]

815 Stone Scrubbers articles in the local news:

https://www.wifr.com/2023/06/25/local-group-cleans-up-graves-belonging-veterans/

https://www.wifr.com/2023/10/09/local-group-finishes-cleaning-468-graves-greenwood-cemetery/

Visit 815 Stone Scrubbers on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/815stonescrubbers?igsh=aGtjbjZ3NTJyMzl1

https://www.facebook.com/p/815-Stone-Scrubbers-100092408534457/

https://www.tiktok.com/@815stonescrubbers