News : Restoration of soldier, angel monuments underway at Evergreen

Cemetery restoration expert John Heidel discusses the Civil War statue with Tim Fuchs.

Always a scar: The wings of the angel damaged by vandals have been repaired.

John Heidel works on restoring the Civil War statue at Evergreen Cemetery.

Standing tall on the hill on the west edge of Evergreen Cemetery, “Stoney” has been inspiring local residents for years.

Some people have told cemetery sexton Tim Fuchs that the tall statue of a Civil War soldier, whom many now call by that nickname, has helped them as they stopped to talk to him about what is happening in their lives.

And says Sexton, the statue has at time seemed alive to him.

“I was washing it once, and it seemed to be moving,” he recalled on Tuesday, “As I sprayed its face, I kept saying ‘I’m sorry.’”

Fuchs told these stories and others to cemetery restoration specialist John Heider as Heider was working to repair that statue as well as the angel that was damaged by vandals last fall.

“There will always be a scar,” said Heider, as he looked at the tips of the angel’s wings he had repaired on Monday.

While most residents are aware of the vandalism in September, Heider said that generally most cemetery damage occurs from time and the elements. Also, he said, in some areas, cemeteries get neglected, or stones are repaired poorly.

A retired special education and high school teacher from Illinois, Heider has been doing and teaching restoration for about a decade in Midwestern states. He said a “Southern Belle” who wanted to restore a tombstone inspired him to learn the trade.

Heider began working on the two monuments on Monday and expects to finish work on Wednesday.

The Evergreen cemetery board is hoping that area residents will help cover the cost of the project. Donations may be mailed to Evergreen Cemetery, Box 534, Vinton, IA 52349.