Libertyville’s Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter, NSDAR, awards Historic Preservation Recognition Award
The Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter, NSDAR, awarded Judy Knoblock the Historic Preservation Recognition Award at its annual awards dinner held at Austin’s.
The NSDAR Historic Preservation Recognition Pin and Certificate recognizes and honors an individual or group that has done recent remarkable volunteer work at the community level. The award may be presented to DAR members and nonmembers and recognizes achievements in all areas of historic preservation: buildings, landmarks, monuments, cemeteries, historic districts, statues, museum collections, manuscripts, documents and archival materials. It also includes writing or compiling and publishing books on historic preservation projects, historical properties, genealogical and courthouse records and photography collections, as well as compiling oral histories and serving as historical guides, interpreters or docents.
This award was administered by Historic Preservation Recognition Award National Vice Chair Jill Jones-Lazuka.
Judy Knoblock has been a member of the Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter, NSDAR, in Libertyville since Oct. 14, 1993, and, currently is the Chapter Chaplain.
Knoblock’s quest for her family history began when she was a junior in High School. In 1991, Knoblock started to research her family; quickly this became her avocation.
In 2018, after attending Continental Congress, the Nebraska State Regent said that in Nebraska they preserve cemeteries. That’s when the desire to restore Naomi Cemetery in Boone County, Nebraska, became Knoblock’s passion. The Naomi Cemetery has 15 burials, but only eight with headstones. All but two people buried in Naomi Cemetery are Knoblock’s relatives. After contacting the local DAR chapter and local and state historical societies, no one was interested in helping her restore this cemetery, so she took it all upon herself. If she didn’t do it, the whole cemetery and its pioneer residents’ history would be lost.
Knoblock’s determination and love of history pushed her into another gear. The landowner was first to be contacted, to gain permission to enter the cemetery. The cemetery was severely overgrown with weeds. After that was cleaned up, a large tree and stump were removed to prevent further damage from its roots.
She researched and contracted a cemetery repair company to pour concrete pads to place under the headstones to prevent sinking. They also repaired a broken headstone. A black vinyl chain link fence now surrounds Naomi Cemetery. A sign maker was contracted to make two signs to be placed on the fence, one with “Naomi Cemetery” and the other one stating “Rehabbed by Judy Knobock 2018-2024, 3rd Great Granddaughter to L. Shunn.” Lastly a monument company was contracted to clean all the headstones. All the rehab work was at Knoblock’s expense.
After five or six years working with various people, the dedication of the newly restored Naomi Cemetery took place on April 20, 2024. Naomi Cemetery was finally restored to its full beauty.
The legacy that Knoblock has left to her family, the Boone County residents and to the state of Nebraska was finally recognized through her efforts.
Knoblock is also the author of “The Cemetery That Time Forgot: Naomi Cemetery/Plum Creek Cemetery, Boone County, Nebraska.” She researched all the people buried in the cemetery and their stories are documented in her book.
In Knoblock’s words, “Research is important, but the stories need to be told”
The DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical, volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education. Membership is open to any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who served the cause of American independence.
Members of the Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter have been proudly serving the Libertyville-Mundelein-Vernon Hills area of Lake County since 1977. The chapter is over 180 members strong and growing. Members range in age from 18 to 100. The roster includes women with careers, students, homemakers, young moms and retirees; mothers, grandmothers and, most importantly, daughters.
NSDAR honors the service their patriot ancestors gave for American Independence by providing service to their communities.
For more information, visit ildar.org/chapters/anselbrainerdcook, or email ABC4DAR@gmail.com.