Restored stained-glass windows re-installed at chapel

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Trivia question: When were the restored stained-glass windows re-installed at Charles City’s Riverside Cemetery Chapel?
Answer: Monday, Jan. 6, 2020.

About a dozen Charles City Middle School eighth-graders took a short bus trip up to Riverside Cemetery Monday morning to take an in-person look at the accomplishments of the three eighth-grade classes that came before them.

“Those look very cool,” said eighth-grader Maggie Boss, referring to the stained-glass windows on the chapel.

“The kids came out to see the fruit of their labor,” said Jeff Sisson, of the St. Charles Cemetery Association. “They came out to see exactly what it looked like.”

Workers from Bovard Studio Inc. of Fairfield installed the stained-glass windows Monday at the chapel, which was built in 1907. The windows were removed and went to Fairfield this past September to be restored by Bovard.

“The colors are fabulous,” Sisson said. “They’ve been covered with plexiglass for years, so to see them for the first time is really remarkable.”

Sisson said the chapel repairs are a $26,000 project, and all the funds have been raised privately. The cooperative project between the cemetery association and the Charles City Women’s Cemetery Improvement Association has been supported by the last three Charles City eighth-grade classes — the CCHS graduating classes of 2021, 2022 and 2023 — through trivia night fundraisers put on the past three springs.

“It’s been a joint project with the two of us, coordinated with each eighth-grade class,” Sisson said.

The Class of 2024 will take its turn this spring.

“I’m extremely excited, we’re all extremely excited,” said Boss, who was chosen by her classmates to speak for her class Monday. “I do hope to keep that tradition continuing. We’re just really excited to raise some money for the chapel.”

“Trivia Night this year will be Saturday, April 4, at Comet Gym at Charles City Middle School. Boss said the theme this year is “space,” which she said “will be super-exciting — we have some fun decorations planned.”

Those interested in forming a trivia team — or anyone who would like to receive more information about trivia night — can email ccriversidetrivia@gmail.com or call 641-425-5132. Silent auction items, monetary donations and table sponsorships are needed and appreciated, according to Boss.

“It’s incredible, what the eighth-graders efforts have gone to,” said eighth-grade teacher Amanda Rahmiller, who has helped coordinate the cemetery fundraising since its inception. “These are just normal eighth-graders doing this.”

Rahmiller said the trivia nights have raised more than $30,000 for the cemetery in three years.

“We’re hoping this year is another outstanding year for us,” she said.

Nearly $10,000 was raised from the trivia night event in 2017. The following year, the event raised $12,844.13. The kids were also able to secure a separate $15,000 grant in 2018 to replace the roof on the chapel.

“It’s an incredible difference from what we started with three years ago,” said Rahmiller, who added that the chapel project was “kind of in its home stretch” now that the stained glass has been redone.

“All we have left is the mortar. We have to send in the samples and get it to match the original,” she said. “That will be it for the exterior, then we’ll move on to the interior.”

The inspiration for the trivia night fundraising came when Sisson took an eighth-grade class — this year’s junior class — to tour the Charles City Riverside Cemetery. When the students saw the chapel — which had fallen into disrepair — they wanted to help to restore it. Rahmiller brought the idea of the trivia night to the students, and it’s taken off from there.

The Riverside Cemetery chapel is one of the few remaining cemetery chapels west of the Mississippi River. The 113-year-old building was made from native stone from a quarry four miles away.