Today we’d like to introduce you to Elyse Hohnerlein.
Hi Elyse, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Cemeteries have always been one of my favorite places to let my mind wander and relax my spirit. As a child, I would walk through old cemeteries and make up the life stories of the names and dates I would see. As an adult, I moved in with my husband a block from one of our local cemeteries, the Catholic Cemetery off Wheaton St.
My husband grew up in this neighborhood, the cemetery being where he spent his afternoons as a child. Our enjoyment of cemeteries is only one of the many things we have in common. Not only did we have cemeteries in common, but history, specifically historic preservation, is our passion.
I came to Savannah to be trained in architectural preservation after years of training in textile conservation. Together, my husband and I restore old buildings, furniture, and textiles. It was only natural that we were drawn to the preservation and maintenance of headstones. Here in Savannah, we have five city cemeteries and handfuls of private cemeteries. For the city, there is only one person who preserves their monuments and plots. Meaning there is only so much they can do, and they need help!
My husband Corey and I volunteer for the city weekly, helping them clean and preserve their monuments. In our free time, we clean my husband’s family headstones in Tattnall County, where they have been settled since the early 18th century, and we are trying to pursue a business here in Savannah; we’re for a small fee we can clean, maintain and fix headstones, as well as the plot they sit on.
Cemeteries are peaceful. Place with beautiful artistic expression that exudes love for those deceased. The gratification spiritually and visually while cleaning these headstones is one of my favorite movements. To me, cemeteries are one of the most important public spaces a city can have because if you pay close enough attention to the headstones, you can begin to make up the true stories of those who created the environment around you.
The cities’ pandemics, poverty, or success are all written in the lives shown on the epitaphs—cemeteries are monuments to our shared history.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road because of the city legislation surrounding headstone and plot maintenance.
Although cemeteries are public places, the plots are private property. A cemetery plot that can house countless graves, stays private as long as there was a burial there in the last 70 years. If that plot doesn’t have perpetual care, the city cannot maintain it without express permission from a family member until those 70 years have passed. That means if a tree falls and cracks the headstone, that headstone will lay on the ground until those 70 years are up.
If you do have express permission from the family, you need to pull a permit with the cemetery division of the city, which costs $35 for 30 days and covers the entire plot. This causes a pile-up of un-maintained graves, which in our southern, temperature fluctuating, and humid climate, these headstones decay fast. Faster than any city employee can keep up with.
Businesses like ours are paramount to the continued existence of these beautiful memorial places that draw in hundreds of thousands of dollars in tourism revenue early. That increased tourism with no city financial assistance placed toward cemetery conservation leaves the public areas in dire need of upkeep.
We need to do better with our cemeteries
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My husband Corey and I are history buffs, first and foremost. We use our skill in building crafts to preserve and maintain the beauty of our city’s crafts, architecture, and public spaces for future generations. We feel that maintaining these headstones brings respect and honor to those who built our environment for us, who sometimes sacrificed their lives for our communities and their families’ continued success.
On top of preserving these headstones, we offer extensive Genealogy services. For each monument we clean, we show respect by researching the deceased and bringing their story back to the forefront. We can provide this service for an additional fee when cleaning a headstone or we can be contacted for genealogy research only.
“Remember the wisdom of your ancestors in order to become wise” – African Proverb.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the beauty, history, and culture of Savannah. I moved here 10 years ago and the growth I have seen is immense, although not always beneficial for those who live here.
What I like least about Savannah is their focus on tourism and the displacement of low-income families, for the benefit of hotels and SCAD. At times I feel like the Fiber of Savannah is changing and it’s weaving the culture, beauty, and spirit out of Savannah.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: historicheadstonehelpers.com
- Instagram: @Historic_headstone_helpers
- Facebook: Historic Headstone Helers
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCxSqCQNzxGx11v__v9EtjXA
Image Credits
Blake Crosby Photography http://bcrosby.com/
