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G.A.R. Circle in Need of Renovation
Wyuka Cemetery is 140 years old. Preserving the historic areas of the cemetery is an essential part of the mission of the Wyuka Historical Foundation. Grand Army of the Republic Circle, where more than two hundred Union Army veterans are buried, urgently needs repair. Grounds supervisor Dianne Bohlken said, “The Civil War-era gravesites are sinking. The graves need to be re-leveled and each stone needs to be re-set.” G.A.R.
Circle was created by the citizens of the then- new state of Nebraska, who
wanted to honor the brave soldiers who preserved the Union. They erected a
statue of a Union soldier and a granite obelisk dedicated to John Milton
Thayer, who led the Nebraska Regiment and served as Governor of Nebraska
from 1887 to 1892. A circle of white marble tablets marks the graves of
Union Army veterans. They are among the 929 Civil War veterans who are
buried throughout the cemetery. These veterans include Harrison Johnson, who
escaped slavery to serve with the 1st Nebraska Infantry, and two who served
with the Confederate Army. The
Circle is the location of Wyuka’s Memorial Day Commemoration, which is
annually attended by 400-500 people. As you might expect, 140 Nebraska
winters have taken their toll on the Circle. The estimated cost of repairs
is $300 per grave. Volunteers from the University of Nebraska are available
to do the labor, but we must raise the funds to buy materials in order to
take advantage of this assistance.
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