Lawrence Journal-World opinion section

To the editor:

My wife and I visited Oak Park Cemetery in Lawrence this past Friday to do some genealogy. The cemetery, of course, is very historic and contains the grave sites of many of the prominent citizens of Lawrence from the past.

Some of the older areas of the cemetery definitely need some upkeep. There are overturned stones, and the landscaping is poor. I realize that upkeep can be costly and that some of the burden should or could be placed on relatives of the deceased. My understanding though is that the city is responsible for the cemetery’s upkeep.

I make it a point to visit grave sites of Congressional Medal of Honor recipients. There have been just over 3,500 awarded in our nation’s history. Samuel Joseph Churchill was given the honor during the Civil War for his bravery at the Battle of Nashville, Tenn. There is a small plaque with a DAR pin honoring this accomplishment. The area definitely should stand out more and have better upkeep. Samuel’s plot is in Section 7.