Sandra Thielman Placed Flowers

May 10, 2000 Beecher Herald

by: Carol Henrichs

Sandra Thielman placed flowers in her family’s crypt inside the Beecher Mausoleum. Several of her family members are interred there. Though she lives in Wonder Lake, Thielman often travels to Beecher to work on the mausoleum, which will be the final resting place of her 97-year-old grandmother. The building fell into neglect and suffered at the hands of vandals until Thielman spearheaded an effort to protect it. The mausoleum is now a Will County Historic Landmark.

 

Life to the Beecher Masuoleum

August 25, 1999 Beecher Herald

by: Carol Henrichs

 

SANDRA LEE THIELMAN AND her hometown handyman, Ron Bunday are hanging one of the marble strips above Sandra’s mother Dollie Joanne Thielman’s burial place inside one of the four multiple burial crypts inside the Beecher Mausoleum.

SANDRA PAYS ATTENTION to every detail. Here she and Ron are trying to repair a door to a closet within the mausoleum where cleaning supplies may one day be kept.

THE FINAL RESTING PLACE for Louis Kirchhoff and his young son Harry are entombed behind this stone bearing their name. Theirs was the earliest date in the mausoleum built in 1913. Louis died a year before the completion of the mausoleum. He was first buried at St. Luke’s Cemetery and then re-interred inside the mausoleum with his son.

THE STONE OF MARIA HOFFMANN, the mother of Carrie Hoffman, the mistress of the Hoffmann’s Saloon in downtown Beecher during its heyday. The stone is finally in place, thanks to Thielman and Bunday who hoisted it to its rightful place recently, for the first time since who knows how long. It was found “laying around” on the floor of the mausoleum. It was the victim of vandalism, as shown by the break in the corner. The darkened spots are burn stains from the candles of vandals who had desecrated the building and its contents.

Guardian Angels Hard At Work

June 24, 1998 Beecher Herald

Guardian Angels Hard at Work

John Dean throws another branch on a smoldering brush pile as Irvin and Allen Beseke help.

Ron Bunday applies acid to the top of the Beecher Mausoleum, the first step in a three part process to remove years of stains from the historical landmark. Members of the Mausoleum Guardian Angel Restoration Association spent an entire weekend clearing brush around the building and brightening its exterior.

Ferne Matthias, Kyle Ohlendorf & ruth Ohlendorf, John DeanThe weekend activities included a bake sale to raise funds for restoration. Members of St. Luke’s United Church of Christ baked items for the sale. Ferna Matthias, Kyle Ohlendorf and Ruth Ohlendorf helped sell the items. Is that a look of hunger on John Dean’s face?

As this picture shows, the power-washing and acid treatments cut through the stains and brightened the mausoleum exterior. The Guardian Angels will return on the July 4th weekend to finish the job. Future projects include removing the peeling paint, tuck-pointing and putting on a new roof.

Thielman applies acid to the mausoleum ornate entrance, arguably its most distinctive feature. The three part process did wonders for the building but Sandra paid a price for the effort- minor acid burns on her face and hands.

The Guardian Angels began restoration work on the inside but the peeling paint on the ceiling demonstrates that much more needs to be done before the group completes its efforts. People interested in helping with the work or donating funds can contact Howard Paul at 946-2339.

Will County Historic LandmarkYears of neglect and vandalism have taken their toll on the mausoleum, which was recently designated as a historical landmark by the Will County “Historical Society” Historic Preservation Commission and the County Board. The mausoleum was constructed by Henry Thielman in 1913 and interred some of Beecher’s founding fathers.

Even Guardian Angels need an occasional breather. Left to right: Bunday, Irving Beseke, Allen Beseke and Sandra Thielman take a short break in front of the mausoleum. The Besekes’s in addition to helping clear brush, provided a large plastic tank to keep the power washers supplied with water.

Restoring for History

June 21, 1998 THE STAR

 Restoring for History

Sandra Lee Thielman, rolls a special acid-based paint on the outside walls of the Beecher Mausoleum that will help restore it to its original color. Fern Hoffmeyer, Beecher, buys a plate of brownies from Ruth Ohlendorf to support the restoration of the landmark, located at Horner Road and Dixie Highway. A bake sale to raise funds for the project took place last weekend at the site.

Labor Of Love

June 17, 1998 Beecher Herald

LABOR OF LOVE 

 

Sandra Thielman of the Beecher Mausoleum Guardian Angel Restoration and her friend Ron Bunday, a professional painter, gave the historical landmark a much-needed cleaning this weekend. The two dedicated workers painstakingly removed years of stains from Mausoleum walls with a three part process involving an acid wash, water rinse and the application of a neutralizer. The Guardian Angels spent the entire weekend clearing brush, cleaning walls and tidying up around the site. More pictures and information about the group’s ongoing efforts will appear in next week’s Beecher Herald.

Cleaning up the mausoleum

June 14, 1998 The Sunday Journal

by: Carol Henrichs

Cleaning up the mausoleum

6-14-1998 Cleaning Up The MauoslumeSandra Thielman, of Wonder Lake, Ill., led Saturday’s volunteer effort to clean-up the exterior of the Beecher Mausoleum. Dressed in protective garb, Ms. Thielman assisted professional painter Ron Bunday, also of Wonder Lake. The two applied a caustic limestone cleaner to the building which would then be washed off under pressure. The cleanup was the first step in the restoration process of the once-regal structure where five of Ms. Thielman’s descendants are laid to rest, including her great-grandfather Henry, the man credited with building the structure. Volunteers are needed for the effort which resumes today on the grounds of the Mausoleum just off Cemetery Road east of Dixie Highway.