WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderPush to restore damaged Boone County cemetery

Push to restore damaged Boone County cemetery

By Katie Nilsson

BOONE COUNTY (WREX) - A couple of Rockford area paranormal researchers want to protect a Boone County cemetery with a long history.

We told you a couple of weeks ago about the thousands of dollars in damage vandals did at Bloods Point Cemetery.  According to the caretaker, they've had problems there for years.  "We don't have any money, you can't go on to the taxpayers and ask them to fund it it's not right."  But Gail Bennett says there isn't a whole lot he can do because the cemetery upkeep is paid for by private donations.  "It's a very pathetic case and they should be prosecuted, but I don't have a badge and I can't do it so I have to rely on law enforcement to do the job for us and we haven't had much luck."

That's where Larry Eissler and Dan Norvell hope to help.  They're paranormal researchers and have done investigations on rumored haunting at Bloods Point Cemetery before.  They say they haven't really found anything that would lead them to believe the place is haunted, but think kids go there to try to see for themselves.  "As an investigator I can say desecrating a cemetery is not going to draw the ghosts out of it," says Norvell.

Not only is the damage disrespectful it costs thousands of dollars to fix.  About 16 grave stones have been knocked over; the gate and fence have been ripped apart too.  Eissler hopes people will help them restore and protect it.  "I would love to see this cemetery with wrought iron gates and fences the kind that you can't rip down and the shed in the back, we would love to see that ripped down."

Police don't have any leads as to who did the damage.  If you have supplies for things like a new fence, gate, lighting, money or even spare time, Larry and Dan want to hear from you.  "Basically it's going to take a group of volunteers to come out here and do the work."

The Bloods Point Cemetery dates back to the 1800's.  Find out more about what Larry and Dan are trying to do at www.bloodspointcemetery.webs.com  or search Bloods Point Cemetery on Facebook.