We’re Rick Detweiler and Paula Hogan, two lifelong history enthusiasts. Together, we founded Lifelines Preservation Services—a partnership dedicated to restoring historic burial grounds. This summer, we’re undertaking an urgent and meaningful project: cleaning, straightening, and repairing over seventy gravestones at Salford Schwenkfelder Cemetery, a sacred site nestled between Souderton and Telford in Pennsylvania. This historic cemetery is more than a resting place. It’s a living testament to the courage, faith, and perseverance of a community that traces its roots back nearly 300 years.
Among its remarkable features is a monument honoring twenty-nine Schwenkfelder immigrants from Silesia, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1731 and 1737 in search of religious freedom. Their legacy—along with that of many others—is etched into each weathered stone. Unfortunately, time and the elements have taken their toll. We need your help to restore and preserve this piece of local heritage.
Where Your Donation Goes:
- Cleaning supplies
- Travel expenses to and from the site
- Tools and materials to straighten or repair broken stones
- Documentation and conservation supplies
Every donation—no matter the size—helps us honor these lives and ensure their stories are not lost to time. Gravestone preservation is more than maintenance. It’s an act of remembrance. It’s about showing respect for those who came before us and protecting the history they left behind. With your support, the courage and resilience of those buried at Salford Schwenkfelder Cemetery will be preserved and celebrated for generations to come. Thank you for helping us bring history back to life.
Among its remarkable features is a monument honoring twenty-nine Schwenkfelder immigrants from Silesia, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1731 and 1737 in search of religious freedom. Their legacy—along with that of many others—is etched into each weathered stone. Unfortunately, time and the elements have taken their toll. We need your help to restore and preserve this piece of local heritage.
Where Your Donation Goes:
- Cleaning supplies
- Travel expenses to and from the site
- Tools and materials to straighten or repair broken stones
- Documentation and conservation supplies
Every donation—no matter the size—helps us honor these lives and ensure their stories are not lost to time. Gravestone preservation is more than maintenance. It’s an act of remembrance. It’s about showing respect for those who came before us and protecting the history they left behind. With your support, the courage and resilience of those buried at Salford Schwenkfelder Cemetery will be preserved and celebrated for generations to come. Thank you for helping us bring history back to life.
Organizer
