The Kennedys of Decorah

DRC Sponsor: John Anderson

The Kennedys of Decorah - A story that begins with a stone. Through census records, newspaper archives, and local memory, Stacey Gossling will talk about the lives of George and Sarah Jane Kennedy and their children in the late 1800s. We will hear about the Kennedy family’s journey across the United States, from the free Black community of Philadelphia to the raw edge of the Upper Midwest, including their time in Decorah.

Stacey is an expert in the restoration and preservation of historic cemetery headstones. She has been a member of the Winneshiek County Pioneer Cemetery Commisssion since 2012. The gravestone restoration process involves multiple visits, especially when restoring older marble stones. On the first visit, the stone is thoroughly cleaned and treated with a special biological growth cleaner that soaks into the stone and continues working for months. About a month later, the stone is treated again, and then again after another month. The sun, wind and rain continue to clean the stone for another 3-6 months.

Stacey presently serves as President of the Winneshiek County Historical Society's Board of Directors. For 30 years she and her spouse Scott owned and operated the Family Table Restaurant in Decorah until they sold the business in 2023.

---

**Please complete your noon meal sign-up prior to the meeting, preferably not later than close of business Monday. Our face-to-face meeting will be hosted at the VFW. The meal sign-up, meeting announcement, and any other logistical information will be distributed in advace to all members by email.