Alexis LeClaire-1844-1888

 Alexis LeClaire – This Civil War Veteran had almost been lost to history. His headstone had been sinking for a very long time. Two of our group got ambitious on March 23 and rescued his sinking headstone. Take a look at how much his stone had sunk.

We know very little about this man; a search of the PPLD database yielded no information. He was born in 1844, likely in Massachusetts. He died in Colorado Springs in 1888. We know he served in Company B of the 8th Regiment of the Massachusetts Infantry for 100 days in 1864. He was not wounded, nor taken a Prisoner of War. Aside from an order for his headstone, we found no records in Ancestry or Fold3.

Evergreen Heritage has not forgotten him. Thanks to our two volunteers, his stone is standing tall again.

***This will be an ongoing story with, hopefully, a happy ending. The following Monday, we searched cemetery records and were unable to locate any burial information for Mr. LeClaire. This was unfortunate, but it was not that uncommon during those early years of the cemetery.

We hope there may be family members doing genealogy research who may come upon our little post and will be able share more information on Mr. LeClaire.

Welcome to Wreath A Thon 2025!

 Over 1300 wreaths were laid this year for our annual  Wreaths Across American event at Evergreen Cemetery.

Although 1300 wreaths is a great number of wreaths it is only 1/3 of the number of wreaths needed for the over 3000 veterans  buried at Evergreen Cemetery.

We are already in the planning stages to ensure that all of our veterans are honored by 2026 in time for the celebration of 150 years of Colorado statehood and the 250 anniversary of the birth of our nation.

Volunteers painstaking spent over a year walking each and every block ensuring each veteran is recognized. Many of our veterans are not marked by the traditional military veterans marker. This research takes many hours as well as the time to physically confirm the location of the headstone and that the information is correct.

Evergreen Heritage benefits financially by the purchase of wreaths through our specific link. Although the name says Evergreen Cemetery Benevolent Society is the current title, our original name, we are in the process of having the page updated, so rest assured you are contributing to Evergreen Heritage. Funds from the Wreaths Across American payback are focused on the restoration needs/projects for the historic Evergreen Chapel, completed in 1910. 

Our cemetery, our chapel and our veterans need the support of the community of Colorado Springs to join us to ensure all of our veterans are recognized for their service to our country and our community.

Beginning in 2025, we are introducing  Wreath A Thon. Wreath a Thon is a way for businesses, groups etc to work with Evergreen Heritage as a partner in our sponsorship group to ensure we are able to recognize our veterans by purchasing a wreath but also to raise the funds to save our chapel!

Click The Image To Sponsor A Wreath (s) Today!

Evergreen and Fairview Cemetery Grave Decoration Rules

  SCHEDULED CLEAN UP DAYS ARE:

MARCH 1-15

NOVEMBER 1-15

Grave decoration rules are established for the safety of visitors and staff as well as to retain the beauty of the cemetery.

All grave decorations must be in an approved cemetery vase or within the confines of a monument base. This includes marble and stone vases permanently attached to the marker. 

Inexpensive plastic vases available at Walmart and Hobby Lobby are NOT allowed. In time, they also become hazards to the mowing and trimming crews.

Unauthorized, unsightly or past-season items may be removed by cemetery staff at any time and discarded, even in the vase. American flags that are torn, ragged, faded or touching the ground will also be removed.

THE CEMTERY IS A PUBLIC SPACE. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING OF MONETARY OR SENTIMENTAL VALUE. THE CEMETERY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ITEMS STOLEN FROM THE GRAVES.

PLANTINGS:

Annual flowers may be planted within six inches to the east of the stone. This applies to upright stones only. There is no planting in front of flat stones.

No bushes, trees, vines or perennials may be planted on grave spaces.

No plantings are allowed around flat memorials or in flat memorial sections.

PROHIBITED ITEMS**

Temporary Markers or Home Made Markers-(temporary markers provided by a monument company while a regular marker is on order are allowed)

GLASS, CERAMIC OR CONCRETE VASES OR FIGURINES

WOOD

METAL SCULPTURES

SHEPHERD'S HOOKS

BANNERS

FLAGS OTHER THAN THE AMERICAN FLAG

FENCING OR BORDERS OF ANY KIND

SOLOR LIGHTS

BASKETS

SHELLS

ROCKS

LANTERNS

CANDLES

ARBORS & TRELLISES

The remaining historic rose trellises are exempt. No new trellis are allowed.

** Non-breakable items may be placed in approved cemetery vases.

 

ON SALE NOW! BEYOND THE GRAVE: MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN

 The fourth annual Beyond the Grave event is back for another amazing event. This year we are bringing to life Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a groundbreaking novel written in 1816 when Shelley was 18 years old. Often considered the first true science fiction novel, Frankenstein explores profound themes such as the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition, creation, and the complexities of human nature. The story was born out of a challenge between Mary Shelley, her husband Percy Bysshe Shelley, and Lord Byron to write the best horror tale during a stay in Geneva. 

The novel was published in 1818 when Mary was only 20 years old, solidifying her legacy as a pioneering voice in Gothic literature.

CHANGES TO THIS YEAR'S EVENT: 

We have reduced the number of tickets available for each allotted time slot. Please purchase your tickets before they sell out!

Purchase Tickets Below Thur our Eventbrite Link. Tickets are only available thru this link. Do not purchase tickets from individuals selling online, this is a scam and your purchase will not be honored for our event. If you have any questions please email us:

Become A Volunteer and Save History

 We are seeking volunteers willing and able to get down, and back up, :) to help us with simple stone resets and cleaning. We are also looking for volunteers to help prune and trim the historic roses at Evergreen Cemetery, and help maintain the garden near the chapel.

If you are interested or would like to learn more about these opportunities, please join our email list to receive information and updates on cleaning and trimming events.

Save the Date: July 13th Saturday. Jon Appell of Atlas Preservation will be conducting a FREE restoration class. Join us and become part of the Cemetery Gang working to preserve the history at Evergreen and Fairview Cemeteries.

Click the Image Below To Join Our List

48 State Tour-July 13, 2024

 Evergreen Cemetery was selected as a site for the 48 State Tour conducted by Jon Appel of Atlas Preservation. Jon has visited our site in the past and we are so excited to have him return. 

This workshop is FREE and open to the public. If you ever considered volunteering to work with Evergreen Heritage and assist us in preserving the historic stones at Evergreen, this is the perfect opportunity to receive hands on training by an acclaimed expert in the field of gravestone restoration.

Please follow our Facebook Page for up to date information and joining our email list.

This is a link to Evergreen Heritage Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/EvergreenCemeteryBenevolentSociety

This is a link to the 48 State Event Page for Evergreen Cemetery.

https://www.facebook.com/events/687449766801021

2023 Year In Review

 We are so excited to share our Year In Review for 2023! To view full screen please click the square box at the top of the right hand corner of the page--Thank you!