Brighton History buffs fascinated by old cemetery Group learns how to repair broken headstones

By Jim Totten Livingston County Daily Press & Argus BRIGHTON, Mich. (AP) -- "Welcome home," someone said as the final piece of Truman Worden's headstone was glued in place. Members of the Brighton Area Historical Society and other history buffs applauded as Worden's headstone was repaired and reinstalled as part of a class on gravestone preservation. Local Historical Society members are now looking forward to doing the same for the many other broken headstones. "This is a kick in the pants," Jim Vichich said. Vichich, president of the Historical Society, and others were excited to learn how to use epoxy to reattach broken headstones. The group paid $1,375 to Jonathon Appell, an expert in gravestone and monument preservation who is based in Connecticut, to give a class in Brighton. "That's the sexy part of fixing up a cemetery," Larry Lawrence said after Appell completed his repairs and had the headstone standing up straight. Lawrence, a Historical Society member, said fixing the headstones will be fun and exciting. Putting Worden's headstone back in a place solves an old mystery. Worden died in Brighton in 1838, making him the first burial in the town. Unfortunately, local historians said they had no other records because his headstone couldn't be found at Brighton's Old Village Cemetery. Vichich said the history books simply stated Worden was the first burial. For more than 100 years, Worden's headstone lay buried under the ground. A few years ago, Historical Society members and a construction crew found the headstone while removing trees and brush to clear the way for a new parking area alongside the cemetery. "To me, it was an absolute tickle," Vichich said about finding Worden's buried gravestone. "I was smiling for a day and a week." The Historical Society has spent several years removing brush and vegetation that hid the cemetery from view, and the next step is fixing broken gravestones and straightening up those that are falling down. Vichich said some of the gravestones were damaged by vandals, but many are leaning simply due to the thawing and freezing of the ground. Vichich said the cemetery is an important piece of the town's history. Former Gov. Kinsley Bingham and former slave John McKinnie are buried there. In addition, Civil War colonel John Gilluly is buried there with this written on his gravestone: "killed in Fredericksburg, VA, gallantly charging our enemies." Vichich said Gilluly was a teacher in Brighton and later attended the University of Michigan to become an attorney. Vichich said Gilluly joined the Army and quickly rose through the ranks as his bosses continued to be killed. "This is a historical monument in here," Vichich said. He said the Historical Society will begin fixing gravestones this summer. He said it will probably take 12-15 years to fix all the gravestones. There are 571 graves in the cemetery, and a majority of them need work. Lawrence, co-owner of Lawrence Auto Body, said he strongly believes the group now has the knowledge to properly fix the headstones. His conclusion is based on having operated a body shop for many years and using all kinds of epoxy. "I firmly believe if you know the right kind of glue to use, you can fix anything," he said. Historical Society member Joe Collins said this class will help the group continue to increase the level of respect given to those buried in the cemetery. "You have war veterans here, I think they deserve respect," Collins said. "When you see what it looked like a few years ago, it wasn't being respected." Published: Thu, Jun 14, 2012