Join the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries (OCHC) in Florence on July 18 for a public meeting and presentation. All events are free and will take place at Siuslaw Pioneer Museum, 278 Maple Street, in Florence. The OCHC will kick of the schedule with its quarterly meeting from 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. The agenda includes 2018 grant report, commissioner reports, and future meetings. Interested parties may attend in person or call-in to the meeting. Meetings are accessible to people with disabilities. Special accommodations and translation may be arranged up to 72 hours in advance of the meeting by calling 503-986-0690. A presentation will follow the meeting from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Charlotte Lehan, of Wilsonville, and Bev Power, of Medford, both commissioners with OCHC, will present “Adventures in Mapping Historic Cemeteries.” They will present interesting challenges, surprise discoveries and other issues in mapping and documenting historic cemeteries. OCHC maintains a list of all historic cemeteries in the state. A cemetery must include the burial of at least one person who died before Feb. 14, 1909 to qualify as historic. The seven-member appointed commission helps people and organizations document, preserve and promote designated historic cemeteries statewide. For more information about the grant program or the OCHC, visit www.oregonheritage.org or contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.gill@oregon.gov or 503-986-0685.
