Volunteers gather to preserve history through gravestone restoration

DAYTON, Ohio — Volunteers in southwest Ohio have worked on preserving history throughout Greene County, one headstone at a time. 

The group of six, led by Army veteran Brenda Tolle and retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Neil Reinsmoen, gathers to restore the graves of local veterans and community members to ensure their stories are not lost. The group ranges in age from their 50s to 80s, with Tolle and Reinsmoen being the only military members.

Neil Reinsmoen, Brenda Tolle, Gregg Spahr and Linda Surls at Stewart Cemetery. (Neil Reinsmoen)

“Walking among these broken and forgotten stones, I feel the weight of every story lost,” said Tolle. “Each grave deserves to be remembered, and we do this work so their lives are never forgotten.”

Since forming in 2022, hundreds of tombstones across 10 Greene County cemeteries have been cleaned, repaired and reset by the group. According to a news release, the group is about to hit 937 graves once the work is complete at Stewart Cemetery. The work includes replacing headstones for Revolutionary War veterans, repairing damaged markers and stabilizing broken stones. 

The cemeteries the group has worked in include: Bone Cemetery, Boots Cemetery, Caesarscreek Baptist Church Cemetery, Cherry Grove (or Caesarscreek Cemetery), Dean Cemetery, Deardorff Cemetery, Shaner Cemetery, Paullin Cemetery, Shook Cemetery and Stewart Cemetery.

“The team’s dedication goes beyond the physical restoration,” said Reinsmoen. “Restoring these graves is more than preserving history. It is personal. My own ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War, and working alongside these stones reminds me of the sacrifices that built our community.”

Volunteers Scott Bradley, Kim Dean, Gregg Spahr and Linda Surls meet with Tolle and Reinsmoen each week to restore the gravestones. Tolle also photographs each stone cleaned and creates or updates memorials online, helping to connect families with ancestors.