Cemetery Walks Oct. 10

The Marion County Historical Society’s second annual Cemetery Walk, “Voices of Graceland” will be Oct. 10, 2026, with a rain date of Oct. 17. In honor of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, costumed actors will be telling the stories of Marion County citizens who served their country during the war time. We will be featuring veterans from the war of 1812, the Civil War, WWI, WWII, and Viet Nam.

Last year’s walk was well attended in spite of the very hot weather we experienced. Response from the attendees was very positive and we received some good suggestions on how we could improve the experience. One suggestion was to make it more accessible for people with mobility issues as the cemetery is large and quite hilly. So, this year Vermeer Corporation in Pella very graciously agreed to loan us their trolley in an effort to make this experience accessible for those with difficulty ambulating. It should be said, though, that you will need to be able to walk short distances on fairly level ground.

We will meet at the entrance by Auld Chapel beginning at 2 p.m. Group will be led by volunteers and will depart from that gate every 15 minutes until 4 p.m. Parking is available in and around the cemetery. There is no charge to attend. However, we will be accepting free will donations. Those donations will benefit the Marion County Historical Society and be used to maintain the building in the Village at Marion County Park and provide other opportunities to the community.

We invite you to attend and hear these interesting, educational, and historical stories. Learn about the lives, families, and sacrifices of these men and women who were citizens of our area and lived through and served during critical moments in our history.