Beecher Mausoleum Plans Include ‘Re-Dedication’ In German And English

Beecher Mausoleum Plans Include ‘Re-Dedication’ In German And English

Beecher Mausoleum restoration plans include a festive, bi-lingual re-dedication

Beecher Herald – Staff Report -March 19, 2015

Plans for the restoration project of the Beecher Mausoleum continue as the venerable structure enters its 101st year.

Three new main objectives have been outlined by the Guardian Angel Association for 2015, the not-for-profit organization that oversees the Beecher Mausoleum restoration project.

The Guardian Angel Association will host a gathering at the Beecher Mausoleum at noon, Sunday, June 27, for family members whose relatives are buried inside the Mausoleum. The public also is invited to attend.

Refreshments will be available for the many guests planning to attend. Already families – Bahlman and Woehmhoefer – from the states of Virginia and Missouri respectively have committed to attend. The guest list includes approximately 40 people.

Guardian Angels hope for participation from area churches, all of which had members’ families at one time, interred within the building throughout its 101-year existence.

“Wouldn’t it be fitting to hold a re-dedication in both English and German?” asked Sandra Thielman, president of the group, adding that German was the language used initially when the building was dedicated.

Entertainment will be provided by Brian Conroy and Jill Silbert, First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics, Company E, the reenactment group that performed during the Halloween Festival.

The hodge-podge of glass block windows, which have been installed over many decades, includes nine huge panels and two family compartment windows. They will be replaced this spring.

Crawford Material Co., Chicago, will supply the glass block windows and vents. The windows will be installed by a local Masonry company, A-Above Masonry Co., Crete.

Extra hands are being sought for work during the weekend of March 21, through the spring and summer months. At that time, one of the glass block window panels will be removed for the purpose of providing a clean opening to allow measurements for the replacement project.

Once removed, the windows will be boarded up until the new panels of glass block windows can be installed. The only requirement is a pair of heavy duty leather gloves.

Now that the roof no longer leaks, volunteers are needed to help set up scaffolding, as well as to prepare to scrape, repair plaster, and paint the mausoleum ceiling.

Also, a professional or organization is needed to help design a historically-correct landscaping plan. Volunteers to implement such a plan are needed.

Anyone interested in helping with this or any other mausoleum project may email Sandra Thielman at sandra@beechermausoleum.org; or call her office at 815-788-9710; home, 815-728-8318; or cell, 815-382-7703.