Chickasaw County Cemetery Commission members and guests met at the Pearl Rock Cemetery Sunday afternoon August 10 and participated in a program of dedication. Pearl Rock Cemetery is located two miles south of Nashua along Highway 218. The Restoration of the cemetery is now complete. Two years ago, few even knew the area was actually a cemetery. It was overgrown with brush and trees. Volunteers spent several hundred hours restoring the place to attractiveness. Fred Reisner of Fredericksburg spoke thanking so many who helped make this a success. Descendants of those buried there more than a century ago were also on hand to help with the dedication activities.

Kim Waller of Belmond spoke in behalf of her relatives who also attended. Kim spoke of the search she made to find her ancestors large stones to no avail. The descendants have now mounted a new monument in memory of Ludden and Bartlett families who were buried there more than a century ago.

Historian Jeanette Kottke also spoke highlighting the history of the Pearl Rock area and how the burial place was chosen in 1854. The cemetery, recorded in court records has the area named as Pearl Rock Cemetery Association. According to records more than eighty burials have taken place there the last half of the 19th Century.

The singing of "Amazing Grace" was led by Carl Krause and members of the Civil War Actors of Mason City. The Roll Call was then read of those buried in Pearl Rock Cemetery. Rev. Marion Sindt of Nashua gave the blessing and dedicated this beautiful spot to the memory of all who were buried here. Then Civil War Reenactment Actors participated in Civil War demonstrations. They also gathered around the burial site to honor Civil War Veteran Frank Slawson whose burial marker has the original Government Issue Civil War stone.

Special guests included Mike Magee of Waterloo, Steve and Donna Story of West Union who have been and continue to volunteer in many other area cemetery restoration projects. Cemetery Commission members expressed thanks to all who volunteered for this project in the past two years. Refreshments were served by the Nashua Women of Today.

Note: Surnames within the picture are: Bartlett, Ludden, Pals, Barlett, Hackbarth, Jenison, Thompson and Weller.