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A project of love and respect for our kindred dead by Vickie Smejkal. I hope to identify and promote memories of those individuals lost, forgotten, and buried with little to no funds in Denver's Riverside Cemetery-Block 12.
Block 12 came to our attention (Vickie Smejkal & Diane Nygaard) when we learned of the many babies buried there. We understood that approximately 3885 babies were buried in the Baby Lots located there. (Baby Lots were 2x4 and 2x5 foot partials within a lot). Diane Nygaard and I felt the strong need to find out who these babies were. Many a day and hour were spent as we fully uncovered stones, pulled weeds and other growth away from stones; taking pictures and documenting as we went along. We even went so far as to use a satellite shot of Block 12 to help us find stones; in addition, Vickie Smejkal drew a large map of all the lots and partials to help us identify stones with information now lost due to time, wind, and elements of nature and to help us identify stones written in the native tongue of those buried there, and yes, we even had someone assist in interpreting the Japanese stones.
With the help of the Block Book (each page indicating where a person is buried and if a marker existed); satellite shot, and handmade map, we have been able, for the most part, to identify who the headstones and remnants of headstones belong to.
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