Libertyville NSDAR chapter cleans cemetery headstones

On Saturday, Aug. 1, members of the Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, in Libertyville safely cleaned 17 headstones at the Mount Rest Cemetery in Newport Township, Lake County.

There are more than 500 headstones at Mount Rest Cemetery, which was established in 1848. As part of a multiyear project, the chapter plans to clean all of them. The cleaning uses water, soft brushes and D2, which is a biological cleaner, safe for the environment and all types of stones.

The Ansel Brainerd Cook members, along with the Mount Rest Cemetery board members, have been busy removing invasive trees, planting more than 60 native bushes and trees and maintaining the general appearance of the cemetery.

The Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter has "adopted" Mount Rest. They are fundraising to have the headstones professionally repaired and restored, insuring the preservation and history of the early settlers that lived in Newport Township.

For more information about how to help Mount Rest, email paholmes61@att.net. For more information about DAR and becoming a chapter member, email ABC4DAR@gmail.com.