FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2010

WILMINGTON, Sept. 20 – Dr. Lee Anderson, a licensed psychologist, has been selected to receive a 2010 Governor’s Outstanding Volunteer Award for Community Service. The award will be presented at the Dover Downs Hotel on October 28, 2010. Anderson was nominated by Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery Board of Directors Cheryl Markiewicz, Mary King, Kate Wilhere, and Tedd Cocker.

Anderson, a respected role model of hope and action, speaks of her work at historic Riverview Cemetery as a “labor of love.” Although many were skeptical about her vision of transforming the derelict burial ground on North Market Street, in Wilmington, she has carefully formed collaborative partnerships in caring for the cemetery and has inspired many to volunteer.

Twelve years ago, when cutting grass at Riverview after her father died, she saw the poor conditions at the cemetery and opened her heart to an “underground neighborhood of 36,000 deceased people” and their surviving families. She felt called to make a difference in that part of her world. For five years, Anderson worked behind the scenes cataloging oral histories and self-published Riverview Cemetery: Reading the Stones – A Collection of Memories from the First State (Timestone Press, 2005) to preserve local history and honor loved ones buried at Riverview.

Since publication, Anderson has provided the leadership necessary to create dramatic change and invites everyone to be part of the team. She participated on Senator Margaret Rose Henry’s Cemetery Task Force (2007); founded Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery (FHRC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (2008); guided FHRC in assuming ownership (2009), and serves as FHRC Board President.

She has led three Arbor Day events, starting in 2008. Tree professionals continue to donate labor and equipment to remove dead and dangerous trees. She hosted Memorial Day services in 2008 with a handful in attendance; the 2010 service was attended by more than 200 people, and a 2000-pound bell from the September 11 Bells of Remembrance Project was on site along with the members of the Wilmington Fire Department.

Anderson also established a partnership with neighboring Plummer Community Correction Center. She presented a 2010 Good Neighbor Award to the offenders who cut grass and assisted with cemetery projects and wrote to the Commissioner of the Delaware Department of Correction expressing appreciation for the supervisory staff and work crews.

The members of the Board of Directors share Anderson’s vision and spirit of volunteerism. They function as a team, conducting cemetery operations and setting priorities to fulfill the mission of the organization. Anderson makes sure board members attend every burial, establishing credibility and showing respect. She also retrieves phone messages from funeral homes regarding burials and from families with requests for genealogical information.

Delaware Community Foundation’s Summer 2010 Newsletter highlighted Dr. Lee Anderson for her unstinting efforts to uncover a baby’s grave marker that was under piles of dirt from previous owner neglect. The work to remove tons of dirt from the babies’ section of 500 graves started as a clean-up day project in 2009. One year later a missing marker was unearthed while the grateful 87-year-old mother stood nearby.

To ensure the continuing success of her intent to use volunteers to restore and care for the distressed cemetery, Anderson frequently writes press releases requesting volunteers for various projects and publishes a monthly newsletter offering thanks, recognition, and updates on projects. In 2009, FHRC recorded approximately 20,000 volunteer hours. Lee Anderson’s vision for Riverview Cemetery is becoming a reality.

The Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery exists to support the restoration and preservation of Wilmington’s most culturally diverse, nonprofit public cemetery.

The Riverview Cemetery website was created and is maintained by:
Russ Pickett
Page Updated: Friday, October 01, 2010