UNION CITY, MI (WTVB) – Over the weekend community members from Union City and from around Branch County gathered for another milestone in the recovery process from the March 6 tornado with the cleanup of the historic Riverside Cemetery
Marking the 15th day of recovery efforts, more than a dozen volunteers spent their Saturday traversing the 20-acre grounds by the St. Joseph River to remove debris.
The group, which included residents and members of the Society for Historic Preservation, cleared away a heavy accumulation of snapped branches, shingles, and home siding that had been carried into the cemetery by the 160-mph winds.
The restoration project was organized by Township Clerk Sharon Boley and preservation president Bobbie Mathis, who aimed to protect the site’s historical integrity while providing a sense of normalcy.
While the storm caused significant landscape damage, most of the large monuments were fortunately spared from direct hits by falling trees.
This focused effort at the is part of a broader, weeks-long response involving hundreds of volunteers and groups like the American Red Cross.
Comments