Walbridge graves repaired

The Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute
BUILDING ON A GIFT OF HISTORY NO OTHER MICHIGAN CITY CAN CLAIM!

Walbridge Graves Repaired!

The City of Kalamazoo
Completes Repairs on the Gravestones of David and Eliza Walbridge

The Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute (KLI) previously reported the discovery that Eliza Taggart Walbridge had hosted Abraham Lincoln for tea during his 1856 visit to Kalamazoo. This discovery was based on an analysis of a letter Lincoln wrote in 1860. It was subsequently found that the gravestone of Eliza T. Walbridge in Kalamazoo's Mountain Home Cemetery had broken at the base, toppled over, and was in danger of significant further damage. Concerned about the ongoing deterioration of her gravestone and the potential loss of this historically important artifact, KLI Directors Gary Swain and Chris Praedel contacted the City of Kalamazoo and Patten's Michigan Monument Company, which agreed to replace the base and reset the stone. In addition, Director Swain personally cleaned and preserved the adjacent gravestone of Eliza's husband, Congressman David S. Walbridge.

Thanks to Directors Swain and Praedel and the
City of Kalamazoo for their great work!

Eliza Taggart Walbridge David S. Walbridge

Before Repairs and Cleaning

Eliza Taggart Walbridge David S. Walbridge

After Repairs and Cleaning

The KLI is planning two important events in 2023. The first will be our annual Lincoln birthday celebration to be held the evening of Saturday, February 11, 2023 at the Portage Zhang Senior Center. The second event will be the dedication of the statue of Lincoln in Kalamazoo's Bronson Park on Sunday, August 27, 2023.

KLI Annual Board Meeting

The annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute was held on Friday, November 4, 2022. President Cameron S. Brown presented the institute's annual report, the retirement of board member Betty Lee Ongley was accepted with gratitude for her years of service, and new board member, Matthew Zwart was welcomed.

A Hearty Thank You to Betty Ongley!

Long-serving board member Betty Ongley has resigned from active board service and has been appointed a lifetime honorary board member. We can’t thank Betty enough for her dedicated service and commitment to the Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute. Betty was an original steering committee member having been with us since we first started to explore ways to build on Kalamazoo’s Lincoln legacy. Thank you Betty for all your generous help and support over the years!

Matthew Zwart Joins the KLI Board

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Attorney Matt Zwart as the KLI’s newest board member. Matt holds a BA from Loyola University Chicago and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Miami School of Law. He is an Associate Attorney at Lennon, Miller, Taylor and Bartosiewicz, PLC. Matt attended Kalamazoo Central High School. And it should never go without saying, Matt was awarded an Eagle Scout during his high school years. Matt’s love of history and his scholarly talents are a perfect complement to our twelve-member board of directors. Welcome aboard Matt!

Matthew Zwart

Previous Newsletters Archived

Previous editions of the KLI newsletter containing research notes, interesting links, and articles about our Kalamazoo Lincoln legacy plans are available here.

Support the KLI!

We are bringing Abraham Lincoln back to Kalamazoo, and you can help! Your tax-deductible donation can be made by clicking on our logo below. We welcome your support!

Copyright © 2022 Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
info@KalamazooLincolnInstitute.org

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this? unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences
Kalamazoo Abraham Lincoln Institute · 2037 Quail Cove Drive · Kalamazoo, MI 49009 · USA