On Friday, 150 students walked from the school to the cemetery, maps and crayons in hand, ready to explore the 20-acre property with graves dating back to 1870.

The students were divided into small groups of about five, each guided by volunteer chaperones and classroom teachers. Using maps that highlighted the graves of individuals who helped shape Escanaba and the surrounding region, students set out to locate each burial site and learn the stories behind the names.

Among those buried at Lakeview Cemetery is John P. Norton, founder of the Daily Press, who died in 1950.

Students were also shown common gravestone designs– such as roses and angels — before setting out on a scavenger hunt to find them etched into headstones throughout the cemetery.

During Lemmer Elementary's field trip to Lakeview Cemetery in Escanaba, students practiced map-reading skills and created gravestone rubbings. (Sophie Vogelmann)

When students found a design on a gravestone, they completed a gravestone rubbing by placing paper over the stone and gently rubbing a crayon across it, revealing the textured impressions of the artwork beneath.

For the past 15 years, Beth Peterson, an art teacher from Lemmer, has led the annual cemetery field trip.

“The students love it, because they have a little bit of freedom in this great big space,” Peterson said. “They’re with a small group. They can make decisions on where they go.”

Peterson also noted that while many students are initially unsure about visiting a cemetery, they quickly become engaged in the experience.

Many parents of young children are themselves relatively young and may not have had much prior experience with cemeteries, Peterson said. Giving students the opportunity to explore one in an educational setting can help make the space feel more approachable.

The field trip also benefits Lakeview Cemetery, as some of the students may one day develop an interest to serve on the cemetery’s board.

Helping preserve the history of the cemetery is Jeanne Rose, who has served as president on the cemetery’s board for more than three decades.

“I figure that having the second graders come is an investment in the future of Lakeview Cemetery’s board, because right now, our board is made up of 80-year-olds,” Rose said.

Peterson added, “Those kids are going to be the ones who take over, you know, in the not-too-distant future. I guarantee you there will be some kids who say, ‘I remember coming in second grade to this cemetery.’ They’re going to make sure it’s taken care of.”

Before becoming president of the board, Rose first began her involvement with the cemetery when she attended a board meeting in 1988.

“One time, I went to a board meeting just to see what they did. And of course, once I looked interested, next thing you know, I was on the board,” Rose said.

Lakeview Cemetery was founded in 1878 by a group of citizens. Early Escanaba pioneer Nelson Ludington donated 20 acres of land for the cemetery, located about a mile and a half from Lake Michigan at the western end of First Avenue South.

Today, the cemetery operates as a tax-exempt nonprofit association of lot owners and welcomes donations from the community.

—

Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.