2 Andover Volunteers Revive One of the Town’s Oldest Cemeteries

ANDOVER, Ill. – A shared passion for local history has evolved into a significant volunteer effort to preserve one of Andover’s oldest cemeteries. For several weeks, Kenny Royer and Dave Crippen have dedicated numerous mornings to restoring the Old Swedish Methodist Cemetery, which dates back to the 1850s.

Over time, many of the cemetery’s headstones had fallen into disrepair. Some were toppled, others were buried, and many were covered in dirt, moss, and years of weathering. Crippen, who serves as the cemetery sexton, explained that he and his wife began maintaining the cemetery years ago after noticing it lacked regular care. Recently, he started resetting headstones and researching proper restoration techniques.

“I spoke with a few monument companies, and they gave me guidance on how to clean and reset the stones,” Crippen said.

Around the same time, Royer, who recently returned to Andover from Florida, reached out seeking ways to contribute. He was struck by the condition of the cemetery and decided to get involved.

“I came over several times, and I thought, ‘Man, this looks terrible with all the headstones laid over,’” Royer said. “So we just started cleaning and had a great time doing it.”

Together, the two estimate they have volunteered over 100 hours restoring the cemetery. Their efforts have included digging up buried headstones, leveling and resetting markers, scrubbing away decades of dirt and moss, and adding rock around the graves to help keep them clean.

The project has also provided an opportunity to uncover stories from Andover’s past. Among the headstones are Civil War veterans, young children, and families whose lives are memorialized in the cemetery. Royer noted that reading the inscriptions offers a glimpse into the community’s history.

“There’s so much you can learn just from reading them,” he said.

For Crippen, the work is about more than just restoring headstones.

“It’s respect,” he said. “I’d want someone to maintain my grave someday, and I think it just has to do with respect.”

Neither man emphasized the importance of recognition. Instead, they hope their efforts will encourage others to volunteer and preserve the history in their own communities.

“Maybe we can inspire some other old fellas in little towns to get up off the couch and go do something like this,” Royer said. “It’s great exercise and it’s fun.”

The work isn’t over yet. The pair mentioned they are already planning another cemetery restoration project in Andover and hope to continue preserving the town’s history for future generations.