Editor,
Three cheers for the Eureka Springs Cemetery Commission and the Men’s Group from the Christian Church. The cemetery fence has had a badly needed haircut. I had asked a former commissioner a year ago and was told that Eureka seemed to be equally split so they decided to remove it slowly. We can even argue about honeysuckle.
Much progress has been made in the last several years and the commission is on a mission. They also have a new problem with the pine beetle.
Many years ago, while researching for one of my books on Eureka Springs history, I decided to find Si Wilson’s grave. He was one of the robbers killed in the downtown bank robbery. All the bodies were claimed except Si Wilson’s. The Eureka Springs Times-Echo said the city buried him in a pauper’s grave. Nita at the courthouse said she had received the cemetery records in a cigarette carton and a blow dryer box from Albert Harp (Harp’s Grocery). Albert had been in charge of them for many years.
She valiantly had tried to put them on index cards, but did not remember the name Si Wilson, suggesting I go see Albert. Albert said the city had buried him in a pauper’s grave. I asked where in the cemetery and was told in a hollow and eventually dirt was added and more graves put over the top!
Susan Schaefer