The Friends of the Cemetery Annual Members’ Meeting will be held at the Spring Grove Chapel on Sunday, September 7 at 2:00 p.m.

We are pleased and honored to welcome Mr. Paul LaRue, a retired social studies teacher from Washington Court House City Schools, as our guest speaker. He has received numerous state and national teaching awards, including the Ohio DAR American History Teacher of the Year, the American Legion Ohio Educator of the Year, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ohio Teacher of the Year, the History Channel’s First Place in Innovation in History Education, Time Warner’s National Teacher Award, and the African American Civil War Memorial Teacher of the Year. Paul served on the Ohio Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee and the Ohio World War 1 Centennial Committee. Currently, Paul serves as co-chair of the America 250-Ohio K-12 Education Committee and is President of the State of Ohio Board of Education.

Paul will talk to us about the significance of preserving historic cemeteries, the importance of recounting our connection to the Underground Railroad, and ways to educate our children about both. He will also discuss how we can engage our community in the America 250 commemoration and the necessity of teaching our children about it. Be sure to note this significant and timely meeting on your calendar, as it is one you will not want to miss!