Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society

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Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society

A group of people dedicated to the preservation and beautification of the Wright City Cemetery. Meetings held second Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.

08/23/2026

Blue skies, a gentle breeze and moderate temperatures Saturday morning made the perfect conditions for our final gravestone-cleaning of the year!
Society President Jerry Prouhet organizes stone-cleaning workdays once a month from April through August. Joining Jerry this weekend were Society members Lee Fast and Jerome Merwin and volunteer Colleen Lefholz. Colleen drove out from St. Charles with her bucket and brush in hand to help remove moss, lichen and mold from gravestones.
This small, but hard-working crew cleaned 31stones. In all, 139 marble and granite tombstones were cleaned this year.
Hats off to Jerry, Lee and Jerome for never missing a cleaning day! Other Society members who helped during the summer were Richard and Margaret Ramey and Marie Hollenbeck.
We send our special thanks to volunteers Becky Bueneman, Alex Bueneman and Colleen Lefholz for lending a hand.
Perhaps next year, you will consider joining us. All it takes is some water, a soft bristle brush, a little elbow grease, a biodegradable cleaner, and soon a lichen-covered stone looks like new.

08/22/2026

A gravestone restoration project began this month in Blocks 1, 2 and 3 of the cemetery.
Included in the project are 10 stones that date back to the 1800s. Most of the remaining 19 stones are from the early to mid 1900s.
Five of the stones are broken and will be pieced together with an epozy and glue. Some obelisk stones are leaning and will be straightened, and the foundations of many stones have deteriorated resulting in the gravestones sinking or moving away from the foundation. New foundations are being poured for these stones, and the gravestones will then set firmly above ground.
The work is being performed by Troy Marble and Granite Company, Inc. under terms of a bid Society members awarded the company in July.
The accompanying photos include some before and after pictures of the repairs and others show the skilled crew from Troy Marble at work.
This work is one example of the Society’s core missions – preservation. In the case of most of these grave markers, there are no family members remaining to care for the gravestones. In the instance where a family member can be located, the Society notifies them of the planned restoration, and get their approval to proceed. These relatives often make a financial contribution to help pay for the work.
The majority of the costs, though, is funded by the Society, and it is because of you, our loyal supporters, we are able to undertake such projects. Your support of our pork tenderloin sandwich sales, your purchase of one of our handmade oak pieces and your monetary donations allow us to preserve these gravestones. Thank you!

08/19/2026

Funds from the Missouri Department of Conservation are paying half the costs for the removal of two dead trees in the cemetery and pruning of dead limbs from a third.
The Society’s application for funds under the Department’s community forestry cost-share program was approved earlier this month, and removal of the trees began Tuesday.
The total amount approved is $2,660.89. The majority of that, $2,100.00, will pay 50 percent of the tree removal and pruning costs. The remaining funds will be used to purchase a backpack sprayer and herbicide. This equipment will be used by our members to rid the cemetery’s undeveloped, woodland areas of invasive plants.
Society members awarded the bid for the tree work to Pole Cats Tree Service, the low bidder on the project. The company has safely removed several trees in the cemetery previously.
The two trees Pole Cats are removing include a dead elm tree located near the entrance to the cemetery. The other tree is a white oak situated on the perimeter of Block 8. A second oak tree along Block 8 will be pruned.
The Society thanks the MDC staff who assisted us in this application process. Their aid and recommendations for improving the woodland areas have been invaluable.
We are also grateful for the professional assistance provided by Arborist Ryan Ealy. Ryan inspected and photographed the trees and prepared risk-assessment reports for each tree. He also submitted a report regarding the oak tree that needs pruning. These reports are required by the Conservation Department to determine if the trees meet the criteria for removal or trimming.

08/18/2026

We need extra help with stone cleaning. Join us this Saturday 9 am - noon. It's not hard to do and your work makes a big difference.

08/06/2026

Save the date folks...our last tenderloin sale of 2026 will be Friday, Sept. 25. Hope to see you there!

07/17/2026

Tenderloin sandwiches and yummy sides are ready. Come on over to the 4way in Wright City.

07/15/2026

With temperatures predicted to top 90 again Friday, there’s no need to heat up the kitchen. Let us do the cooking for you!
We’ll be serving hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or until we run out) at the gazebo across from FMB Bank in downtown Wright City. You can also pick up as many of our home-made sides as you wish –
 German potato salad
 Cole slaw prepared from Big Boy’s Restaurant’s recipe
 Baked beans.

We’re making more this month so if you stopped by at our last sale in May only to find me were out, please give us a try again.
A selection of fresh-baked cookies and sliced pie may also tempt you!
We look forward to welcoming you!
All proceeds benefit the Society’s beautification efforts at the Wright City Cemetery.

07/13/2026

Two unique vases and several one-of-a-kind bowls will be available for purchase this Friday during our breaded pork tenderloin sale at the gazebo in downtown Wright City. Each piece was hand-crafted from wood salvaged from the large, old white oak tree that stood in Block 3 of the cemetery before it had to be removed.
If you or someone you know is looking for a distinctive gift or would like a special keepsake, please stop by and inspect this offering of handwrought items.
Proceeds from all sales help the Society continue its mission of beautifying and caring for the
cemetery.

07/11/2026

Some recent posts online have called attention to Wright City’s distinction as the birthplace of the Rev. Reinhold Niebuhr, known throughout the world as a distinguished theologian and the
author of the Serenity Prayer. Some people have lamented the fact there is no local tribute to Rev. Niebuhr.

While there may not be a historical plaque or marker honoring him, an oak tree was planted in the cemetery in 2022 as a living memorial to Rev. Niebuhr. The red oak stands in the middle of
Block 2 and should grow to become a stately and long-living tree. A memorial stone is located beneath the tree.

The tree and marker were the gift of an anonymous donor.
Rev. Niebuhr’s father, Gustav, served as pastor of the German Evangelical Church in Wright City (now Immanuel United Church of Christ) from October 1891 to April 1895. Reinhold and his
brother Helmut Richard, who would also become a noted theologian, were both born here during their father’s pastorate.

Interestingly, the oak tree honoring Rev. Niebuhr is located about 20 feet away from the gravesites of the Rev. Albert Katterjohn and his wife Anna. Some 24 years after Rev. Gustav Niebuhr left the pulpit of Wright City’s Evangelical Church, Rev. Katterjohn was called to serve the church in 1919. He would remain there for the next 34 years and become the longest serving pastor in the church’s history.

Many bits of this area’s history can be found in the cemetery. We invite you to walk the grounds and see what you might discover!

Immanuel UCC note:
A plaque honoring Wright City native Rev. Reinhold Niebuhr is located near the front door of Immanuel United Church of Christ. The church also features a display of articles, photographs, and letters about the Niebuhr family. Feel free to stop by the church to view these items.

07/04/2026

Happy 250th!!!!

Address

P. O. Box 83
Wright City, MO
63390

Website

https://www.wrightcitycemeterymemorialsociety.com/

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