Norwood’s Old Parish Preservation Volunteers (OPPV), the non-profit organization founded in 2018 whose mission is to restore, enhance, and raise public awareness of the Old Parish Cemetery in Norwood has been informed that the Board of Trustees of the Association for Gravestone Studies (AGS) has voted unanimously to present them with the prestigious Fred & Rosalee Oakley Award for their work with the cemetery.

 

The AGS, an international organization, was founded in 1977 for the purpose of furthering the study and preservation of grave markers of all periods and styles. Through its publications, conferences, workshops, and exhibits, AGS promotes the study of stones from historical and artistic perspectives, expands public awareness of the significance of gravestones, and encourages individuals and groups to preserve these historic artifacts.

 

The Fred and Rosalee Oakley Certificate of Merit is presented periodically by the AGS Board of Trustees to individuals and groups that have helped to advance the mission of the Association. The award consists of a certificate as well as the gift of a book to the honoree’s local library. Recipients will have their names printed in the annual report and the conference program book. In addition, they will be acknowledged at the awards reception at the annual conference.

 

The AGS Board of Trustees praise OPPV for their important contributions to gravestone studies, in particular the preserving and repairing of stones and the compilation of data on its website. In addition, OPPV was congratulated on its efforts to promote public awareness of historic cemeteries to a broader community through public events and activities, a publication, and documentary film.

 

Past honorees include organizations and individuals from across the United States, including the Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery in Portland, Oregon; Old Colony Burying Ground Volunteers in Granville, Ohio; the Georgia Municipal Cemetery Association in Georgia; the Friends of Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, New York; as well as other organizations in Tennessee, Virginia, Massachusetts and Maine.

 

This year the conference will take place June 18-23 at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, with the Awards Banquet held on Saturday June 22.