Findlay Reynolds, a 10-year-old Carlyle Junior High School fifth-grader, cleans a veteran's headstone with a soft brush. Photo by Matt Wilson A Carlyle Junior High School student is doing her part to ensure that every veteran is remembered.
Findlay Reynolds, a 10-year-old fifth-grader, has been cleaning veterans' headstones at both the Carlyle Cemetery and St. Mary's Cemetery in Carlyle.
"I did this because I wanted people to be remembered," Reynolds said. "They respected our country and I wanted to think that it would be good to clean their graves because that is a great thing."
Reynolds has been cleaning the headstones for around three months. She started on July 4.
"I didn't want to do anything else on July 4," Reynolds said. "I just wanted to stay and clean graves."
Reynolds said she came up with the idea because there is a lot of dirty graves and the families that might want to come by and visit them might not see their name and their face. Her grandpa, Owen, mows at the cemetery and she came out to see him one day and noticed all of the dirty headstones.
"I wanted to make them remembered again," Reynolds said.
Reynolds said she enjoys cleaning the headstones. Reynolds mom, Whitney, helps her clean the headstones.
They have cleaned around 50 to 60 headstones so far. She said her favorite so far has been Robert's grave.
"It was really dirty so I scrubbed off all of it and then we could read the story about him," Findlay said. "He was the love of someone's life."
Findlay Reynolds cleans a veteran's headstone. Reynolds is cleaning headstones at both the Carlyle and St. Mary's cemeteries in Carlyle. Whitney said they use Dawn Powerwash, a very soft brush, and distilled water to clean the headstones.
Findlay said her goal is to keep trying and trying and to get all of the dirty headstones clean so they can be remembered.
"I just want to thank all the veterans for protecting our country," Findlay said.
Whitney said she is proud of her daughter.
"I was blown away when she first came up with the idea," Whitney said. "I'm just proud of her heart, you don't see a lot of 10-year-olds who want to do something like this. I just think this is great that she is wanting to remember veterans."
Findlay said she has no thoughts of stopping anytime soon.
"I'm going to be a grave cleaner when I grow up," the 10-year-old said.
