Juvenile Offenders to Clean Gravestones for Community Service in Auburn

June 17, 2021 by Diane Ryder

For the last five years, Ed Hale, of Burton, has worked in Auburn Township’s two cemeteries, carefully cleaning and restoring the aging gravestones of relatives, as well as people he never knew, using a gentle chemical process that will not erode the delicate sandstone further.

For Hale, it is a labor of love. For years, his company cleaned the exhaust systems of restaurant kitchens. In his spare time, he used his expertise to learn how to clean and restore old gravestones, beginning with his own Burton pioneer ancestors.

“My great-great grandfather was Willard Hale, one of the first residents of Burton,” Hale told the Geauga County Maple Leaf in a phone interview June 14. “He came, as did many Burton residents, from Cheshire, Connecticut. His stone dated back to 1832.”

Several years ago, during a cemetery visit, Hale was appalled at the almost unreadable headstone on his ancestor’s grave, so he decided to do something about it. He began by doing internet research on antique gravestones and how to restore and preserve them.

Many 19th and early 20th century gravestones were carved from sandstone, which erodes over the years and blackens with mold, moss and dirt, causing them to become illegible over time.

“Then there’s limestone and marble, with problems of their own,” he said. “Granite pretty much lasts forever, but they can use a cleaning, too, from time to time.”

He worked to develop a cleaning system that uses water, special gelatin soap that holds negative ions and is usually used to clean cattle, a little ammonia and soft brushes that won’t damage the fragile surface of old stones.

Over the years, he perfected his methods and began sprucing up older headstones, beginning in Burton.

Hale’s hobby became a small business, with some communities, including Auburn, paying him to clean and restore headstones in township cemeteries. Under Ohio law, townships are required to maintain cemeteries for their residents.

But over the years, age and health issues have caused him to slow down and worry about how to continue his work and keep his methods alive for future generations.

“I thought, what about the young people in the court who are ordered to do community service?” Hale explained. “So I contacted the court and asked the judge if he’d be interested in letting me teach some kids how to do this and have them clean the tombstones. He was real enthusiastic about the idea.”

Geauga County Juvenile/Probate Court Judge Tim Grendell referred Hale to a court official who supervises convicted juvenile offenders when they perform the court-ordered hours of community service as part of their sentence.

Six young offenders work with Hale and a supervisor. Hale teaches them his cleaning techniques and makes sure they do everything correctly.

“It’s working out well, so I called Auburn (Township Trustees) and told them about what we were doing,” Hale said. “They were real happy and thought it was a great idea.”

At their June 7 meeting, Auburn trustees gave Hale their blessing to bring his unique cleaning crew to Shadyside Cemetery to clean stones there.

“A lot of people in there are my relatives anyway,” Hale said.

“He’s done a wonderful job for us over the years,” Township Administrative Assistant Nancy Dolezal said by phone Monday. “He loves doing it and teaching the process to young people. It’s a real community service.”