Cemetery Maintenance Before Mowers?

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   This has to be the most random question I've posted in the forum... But I didn't ask my grandfather when he was still alive, and someone on here will remember stories about this.
How was the grass in rural cemeteries maintained before the invention and wide adoption of mowing equipment?

Sheep? Careful use of hand tools like scythes and shears? I can't imagine people wading through 5-6' tall prairie grass to visit a departed relative's gravestone, so I'm thinking they had to do something.

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wjohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Location: KS Points: 1799	Post Options Post Reply Quote wjohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Cemetery Maintenance Before Mowers? Posted: 31 Dec 2023 at 2:30pm
	This has to be the most random question I've posted in the forum... But I didn't ask my grandfather when he was still alive, and someone on here will remember stories about this. How was the grass in rural cemeteries maintained before the invention and wide adoption of mowing equipment? Sheep? Careful use of hand tools like scythes and shears? I can't imagine people wading through 5-6' tall prairie grass to visit a departed relative's gravestone, so I'm thinking they had to do something.
	1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45

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DMiller Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 14 Sep 2009 Location: Hermann, Mo Points: 29499	Post Options Post Reply Quote DMiller Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 31 Dec 2023 at 2:48pm
	Our Family is in a Small OLD Cemetery outside St Peter IL, Used to be several farmers would waste a Saturday or bring their families on a Sunday and primp/prep and Push Type Reel mower the ENTIRE Cemetery. Grandmother said had tried Sheep, made a HUGE Mess, otherwise was Hand Shears and Swing Weed Wackers or Scythes. Great Aunt Scythed her Ditch and along House Fence row for forever!! The Namesake Custodian of the Cemetery Fund would pay them a Per Day fee EACH. Most have family also buried there. The trust receives Federal Military Burial Plot maintenance money at the Bank, every year, Dates back to Spanish American War and Both WW with Korea and VN Vets. Edited by DMiller - 31 Dec 2023 at 2:51pm

Hubert (Ga)engine7 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Location: Jackson Cnty,GA Points: 6126	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hubert (Ga)engine7 Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 31 Dec 2023 at 4:25pm
	Pretty much like Dave describes theirs as to what was done down here in Georgia, push reel mowers and sling blades. If the family could afford it tar paper for weed block and fine sand like gravel on top of that for the cemetery plot. On a side note I was at Arlington in the mid 90's and an old school bus pulls up and about a dozen workers jump out, grab some weed eaters out of the back and go to trimming grass.
	Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God.

tadams(OH) Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Location: Jeromesville, O Points: 9640	Post Options Post Reply Quote tadams(OH) Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jan 2024 at 7:45am
	When my Dad took over the local cemetery here in Loudonville, Ohio in 1959 they had a self prpelled real mower and for trimming a Bunt 3 wheel mower, when I retired from there in 2007 we had Hustler rear discharge mower and weedeaters

DiyDave Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Gambrills, MD Points: 50528	Post Options Post Reply Quote DiyDave Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jan 2024 at 4:21pm
	Our church used to have clean-up saturdays for the cemetary, I can still remember us mowing with old bunton, gravely mowers. When someone donated a newfangled john deere weedeater, my brother got that job, first. It was a backpack motor, with a flex shaft to the head, damned thing felt like it weighed 50 lbs. He ran it for an hour, and ended up barfing like a dog, from alla the vibration! Edited by DiyDave - 01 Jan 2024 at 4:22pm
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AveryD12 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Bronze Level Joined: 05 Mar 2018 Location: Foxworth.MS Points: 80	Post Options Post Reply Quote AveryD12 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 01 Jan 2024 at 6:03pm
	DMiller I’m interested in your comment about Federal Money to help with maintenance of the cemetery. We too have a Family Cemetery with Veterans from WWI, WWII, and Vietnam entered there. I have been maintaining our cemetery since the mid 1970’s with no financial assistance except for an occasional donation from a family member. I would like to establish something for maintenance after I am gone. Any info you can share with me would be appreciated. Thanks

Harvey/pa Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: York Co. Pa. Points: 1011	Post Options Post Reply Quote Harvey/pa Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 02 Jan 2024 at 10:29pm
	About 45 yrs ago a friend asked me to go along to see if an elderly gentleman would sell his WC sitting in an open shed about a mile back the road. I did not think he would sell it but he told my friend he wanted $150.oo. He said he mowed the Cemetery with it and a horse mower. I think my friend still plows his garden with it every spring, unless he uses his Oliver Hart Parr 70. Serial number is WC 32 or 33 don"t remember which...Harvey

wjohn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Location: KS Points: 1799	Post Options Post Reply Quote wjohn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 Jan 2024 at 11:52am
	Thanks for the stories. Some things are definitely easier with modern technology.
	1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45