Local members of the Daughters of the American Revolution spent two days cleaning up and restoring Linwood Pioneer Cemetery in Leawood.
The Daughters volunteered two work days Oct. 11 and 12 to clean up the cemetery located on the northeast corner of 95th Street and Mission Road. Work included cleanup of the grounds, trimming around headstones, painting the fence and cleaning headstones.
April Bishop with the city of Leawood said the cemetery has been neglected for years.
“Not only are the DAR cleaning up and doing some restoration but they are also doing research on the history of the cemetery,” Bishop said.
The first documented burial in this cemetery took place in 1869, according to the group. This remaining cemetery is onaly a portion of what was once a two-acre site of the Linwood Church.
Bishop said several chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution came together to volunteer on the project, including: Sagamore, Prairie Rose, Shawnee Mission, Mission Hills, Quivira Crossing, and Three Trails West. The volunteer force also included several Leawood residents, she added.
Ranchmart Hardware and Price Chopper at Ranchmart also donated mums for the cemetery.
Bishop said the Leawood Historic Commission and the Leawood Foundation supported the volunteers’ efforts to clean up the Cemetery. Additionally, the Leawood Historic Commission will be installing another historic plaque at the site soon, similar to the one installed at the Leawood Shops.
