A cemetery is steeped in history and a local group wants to make sure details of the past are preserved.
Rex Melius is the head of the cemeteries and over the past 5 years he has gotten pretty good at making tombstones look like new.
"Water is your best friend," he says. "Always wet the stone first."
Learning the skill started with a personal project.
"I visited my mother's grave about five years ago and it was full of lichen," he recalls.
So Rex went over to see what could be done to clean his headstone.
And from there it started. Five years later we have up to 2,800 subscribers worldwide.
Cemeteries these days get calls from everywhere asking for advice or asking someone to come clean and mend an old memory.
"Everyone has one life at a time, be it a day, a month, a year or a lifetime," says Rex. "We think they're all worth keeping. "
Rex and his team spend a lot of time re-leveling the tombstones. They repair cracks and clean dirt.
"I have to use some muscles and elbows!" he says.
To kill this slow-growing, crispy plant, Rex uses a chemical mixture.
"It's not only safe for us, but also for the environment," he adds.
When sprayed on for the first time, this cleaner leaves an orange hue. But it will soon turn white like when it was first placed.
"Some of the stones can heal in a week," explains Rex.
It is certainly a lot of work. But Rex learned from veterans about starting families, community tragedies, and the heroism of war.
"We believe this is all part of the history of the church and should be remembered. "
Rex and cemeteries are found throughout the Milwaukee area. Her schedule is pretty busy this summer, but you can reach her on Facebook if you want to request a headstone cleaning. The team does everything for free.
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