A Sharp difference! Waukon couple’s volunteer efforts result in hundreds of clean monuments in Oakland, area cemeteries

by Brianne Eilers

Recent visitors to Oakland Cemetery in Waukon may have noticed a change in the way the cemetery looks thanks to the dedication and hard work of Waukon residents Larry and Shirley Sharp. This year alone, the Sharps have cleaned and given new life to 731 headstones at the cemetery.

Shirley estimated they cleaned around 82 stones last year, and the couple didn’t know how many they have done altogether since they began doing this. The Sharps began dabbling in cleaning up old headstones about five years ago, starting with family grave markers.

“We noticed my dad’s stone was turning black,” Shirley said, and they wanted to know what they could do to fix that. Larry and Shirley contacted Stacey Gossling of Decorah, and learned how to properly clean headstones from her. The Sharps took their newfound knowledge and cleaned up the headstones of both Shirley’s and Larry’s relatives in cemeteries located in Iowa and Minnesota.

The Sharps moved to Waukon about a year and a half ago, and began putting their talents to use at Oakland Cemetery in south Waukon. They volunteer their time and talents, and do not accept any donations for materials or time.

They began working on the old, white grave markers, many of which Larry noted are veterans. The tools needed are mostly everyday items - paint stirring sticks, brushes (but no wire bristles) and water sprayers.

“We did get a golf cart and it works perfectly to haul our tools and water around,” Larry said.

There is no water hook-up in the cemetery anymore, so they also have to bring their own water supply. Larry said they started out using a hand pump sprayer, but have moved to a motorized sprayer which works much smoother for them.

The cleaning process involves spraying the stones with water and using the paint stir sticks and brushes to clean off the dirt and grime that covers the stones, before they apply D/2 Biological Solution to the stones.

“It’s the same thing they use in Arlington (National Cemetery),” Larry noted.

This cleaner is biodegradable and non-hazardous. Once sprayed with the D/2, the stones will appear a rusty or pinkish color, which can last from days to weeks.

“The first few times, it made me kind of nervous,” Shirley admitted, adding that she was afraid they might have actually made it worse than better. However, once the chemical does its work, the stones look bright and beautiful again.

If they think a stone feels loose or like it could crumble or be damaged, the Sharps won’t work on those. They even had their granddaughter, Kalysta Kerner, volunteer to help with a few stones over the summer.

The Sharps have spent about three hours a day, weather permitting, at the cemetery working on cleaning up headstones. On average, they figure it takes approximately 20 minutes per stone, but sometimes there is a lot of build-up on the stones and it takes a lot longer.

This year, they have been concentrating on the middle section of the cemetery and have almost got it completed. They decided that instead of skipping around, it would be easier to keep track of what they have done if they picked a section and kept at it.

“It’s just a good feeling,” Shirley explained. “We enjoy doing it.”

This past spring, summer and fall have provided fantastic (and dry) weather for the Sharps to be able to spend lots of time in the cemetery. Shirley described the feeling of the Oakland Cemetery as “a happy cemetery.” They have noticed how people like to use the paved cemetery roads for walking, and many people decorate the graves of their loved ones for the different holidays or seasons.

They have also gotten a lot of compliments on their work from people who frequent the cemetery and have noticed that it looks like new stones popped up out of nowhere. They received a nice card from the Oakland Cemetery Board thanking them for their work, too.

During their work the Sharps have discovered some very interesting stones or details on the monuments. There is one that Shirley calls “the world” that is a globe sitting on top of a base.

Larry noted that after cleaning stones, there are some details that really stand out that would otherwise be missed. He discovered one stone that was carved to have a Bible sitting on top of it. Once it was cleaned, there was actually a smaller Bible carved to sit on top of the other Bible. Finding these hidden details is part of what they enjoy about the work they do.

Shirley and Larry volunteer their time and all of the materials in the process. They don’t accept any type of donations for their work, though they have had offers of donations. They have also done a few stones in other area cemeteries, including Hanover. The headstone cleaning is something they really enjoy doing.

“It’s just really rewarding,” Shirley said. “We feel like we are doing something really worthwhile.”