photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Members of Lawrence's branch of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War clean the headstones of Union soldiers on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Pioneer Cemetery.

Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War arrived Saturday at Pioneer Cemetery on a muggy morning that had yet to hit the sweltering high temperatures of the later day and got to work. In the past, they’d planted hundreds of flags for Union veterans at Oak Hill Cemetery for Memorial Day, and every December they organize a wreath ceremony at Maple Grove Cemetery. On this day, however, their work wasn’t about what they were leaving, but rather what they were taking away.

Armed with a cleaning agent, scrub brushes and sprayer of water, they set out to remove layers of dirt and grime from the headstones of Union soldiers.

“Hopefully when we get done with them, and a period of time after that chemical works, you’ll be able to read their names again,” said Tom Schmidt, a past department commander for the group. “It’s like magic.”

The magic happened a little sooner than Schmidt expected. It wasn’t long after Mike Todd sprayed cleaner, several volunteers started scrubbing, and Roy Lafferty came along behind with a water sprayer that names started to appear.

“Milo Ackerman! What a great name!” one man exclaimed.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

A member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War cleans the headstone for Milo Ackerman at Pioneer Cemetery in Lawrence on Saturday, July 19, 2025,

And really, Schmidt said, that’s what their work was about. The organization strives to honor the men who sacrificed all, he said, because “if it wasn’t for them, the Union wouldn’t be here today.” And even though the soldiers in Pioneer Cemetery may have been gone for generations, their sacrifice will be harder to forget now.

“They actually come back to life, because now you’ve got the people’s names,” Schmidt said.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War wait for supplies near the headstones of Union soldiers at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, July 19, 2025. The group organized a cleaning event to spruce up the headstones.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

After cleaning one row of headstones, members of the Sons of Union Soldiers of the Civil War move on to another at Pioneer Cemetery in Lawrence on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Members of the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War clean the headstones of Union soldiers at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

John Broholm, with the Lawrence branch of Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, cleans the headstone of a Union soldier at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Roy Lafferty sprays down a headstone with water during a headstone cleaning event by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Grime runs down a headstone as it’s cleaned at Pioneer Cemetery in Lawrence on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Grime runs down a headstone as it’s cleaned, revealing the name of a Union soldier at Pioneer Cemetery in Lawrence on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Roy Lafferty sprays down a headstone with water during a headstone cleaning event by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Lawrence.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Tom Schmidt of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War scrubs a headstone at Pioneer Cemetery in Lawrence on Saturday, July 19, 2025.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

Mike Todd sprays a chemical solution onto headstones for cleaning during an event by the Lawrence branch of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Pioneer Cemetery.

photo by: Cynthia Hernandez/Journal-World

A row of headstones sit at Pioneer Cemetery on Saturday, July 19, 2025, cleaner than when the day started as members of Lawrence’s branch of the Sons of Union Soldiers of the Civil War set out to spray, clean and rinse the headstones of Union soldiers. Tom Schmidt, an organizer for the event, said the headstones should start looking even better after a few days in the sun.