Missionary Service Project
By Ellen Cook
Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints serving in the McClusky area are helping preserve some of its history, and they are doing it one picture
at a time. Recently these young men congregated in the McClusky Cemetery to photograph all the headstones and the important information each contains. Those photographs
were then uploaded to the BillionGraves website, where that info is accessible for any family members or genealogists researching their ancestors. Sending missionaries out in
the community doing service is nothing new, according to President Scott L. Howell, president of the Dakotas Mission. While they typically spend much of their time sharing
a gospel message, about 10 hours each week are devoted to service. COVID-19 has increased those hours. Howell, who is a university administrator, former cemetery
sexton, and amateur genealogist, said, “I thought it would be helpful for our missionaries, during this time of social distancing, to get out in the fresh air and do something
meaningful.” He armed the missionaries with cameras and put the BillionGraves plan into operation.
