One of the most striking memorials at the Historic Woodlawn cemetery — a 26-foot-tall, 1,000-ton pyramid — is undergoing a $166,000 restoration in an effort to ensure it lasts for at least another 108 years.
The Gunckel Memorial, on the cemetery’s eastern edge, was dedicated on Aug. 11, 1917. It commemorates the life of John E. Gunckel, who died Aug. 16, 1915, just two days after his 69th birthday.
“The condition of the monument is such that it needs complete restoration,” said Patty Toneff, Woodlawn’s foundation director. “It is definitely what needs to be done. Over the past year, chunks of rock have fallen off, and there are cracks throughout the pyramid.”…