Help Restore a 134-Year-Old Crypt

They just don’t make these anymore!

This is a 134-year-old piece of history that can’t be lost. Within the Spring City Cemetery, there exists an old-fashioned crypt. Within the crypt lie the remains of my wife’s ancestors, Hans Jorgen Hansen Jr. and his 4-year-old son Mark Sharp Hansen, who drowned. The crypt was constructed in 1891 and is deteriorating. Because his son Mark died at a young age and his only other daughter never had children, his ancestral line has died out and he has no direct living relatives to maintain the site. Years ago the crypt was vandalized, so the cemetery’s Sexton ordered the crypt’s entrance to be filled in with dirt and capped with cement. I desire to restore the crypt so it could last another hundred plus years. I intend to remove the cement cap and dig out the 12-foot-deep dirt-filled staircase leading to the burial chamber. Once inside the chamber, we will have it inspected to determine its stability and condition. The chamber will either be restored or permanently sealed up if deemed unsafe for future use. I also intend to reconstruct the outer perimeter wall, re-using the capstones and wrought-iron fence that currently exist. A new secure door will be placed on the crypt’s entrance, and headstones made for those who lie within. The hand-carved birdbaths that are badly damaged will be repaired, if possible. Decorative rock will then be placed atop the entire cemetery plot. A lofty goal I know, however, bids to reconstruct the outer walls and restore and secure the underground burial chamber are turning out to be expensive. This is where I need your financial help. Will you please help me preserve this bit of history and bring the crypt back to its original condition and glory? It took a lot of time, labor, and money to build the crypt back in 1891, and it deserves to be restored. Any amount donated will be greatly appreciated. Thanks again, Paul Strong