The History Of Local Cemetery Echoes Through Program
A cemetery with over 160 years of history is bound to be filled with interesting stories and important life lessons. One local cemetery has created a way to keep those stories and lessons alive to this day.
Moline Parks and Recreation is hosting their annual ‘Echoes from Riverside’ on Saturday Sep 30 at Riverside Cemetery (2900 6th Avenue Moline). This one of a kind walk down memory lane brings some the area’s earliest citizens and their stories to life for all to hear.
Tickets for this event will be available for purchase on Saturday at the Riverside Chapel Mausoleum, near the cemetery entrance. The cost of tickets are $5 per person (12 and under are free). All ticket proceeds raised will go into the principal protected perpetual care fund to help support Moline’s cemeteries.
Tours will begin at 1 p.m. Groups will leave every 15 minutes after that, with the last tour leaving at 3 p.m. Metro bus will provide transportation to the top of the hill where the guided walking tour begins. The walking tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and may include some uneven terrain. The cemetery is closed to all vehicles throughout the duration of this event.
Nine tour guides from all walks of life, from retired teachers to city employees, will be accompanying the groups through their educational and enjoyable walking tours. For the first time, this year’s theme will be John Deere. Local costumed thespians, ranging from teachers to City Attorneys, will be sharing the stories that many have never heard.
‘Echoes from Riverside’ began back in 1995. This historical cemetery walk was encapsulated in 2009 in the book ‘Echoes from Riverside Cemetery: Moline, Illinois’, written by Kathleen Seusy, Diann Moore, Curtis C. Roseman and Regena Schantz. Todd Slater, the Moline Parks and Recreation Department’s Cemetery Manager (since 1991) shares, “If you love to take walks — and you love history — and you love beautiful views of the Mississippi River— you will enjoy this program”.
Join this effort to preserve the memories and accomplishments of those who have preceded us.
