DEL NORTE – The Rio Grande County Museum partnered with the Del Norte High School Theatre for the first-ever Del Norte Cemetery Tour highlighting local Civil War Veterans on Saturday, Oct. 12. The event was well attended and the participating students reenacting the characters had a wonderful time captivating the attending crowd.  

“This was really fun, and I think we will be able to grow each year we do it. The students really did have a great time and next year will be even better,” said Del Norte High School Theatre Teacher Bill Sauvigne. “Everyone will be talking about this.” 

Thanks to the research conducted by local Historian Rosilind Weaver and her sister Polly Cox, the students were well equipped to deliver a performance that brought a crowd of about 30 people to the Del Norte Cemetery. Weaver and Cox have spent years researching local Veterans and bringing them back to life through an event like the Cemetery Tour was something they had dreamed about. 

“We have always wanted to do something like this and are so grateful to the students for their willingness to come out on a Saturday and participate. It really turned out to be a wonderful event; one I hope we can do for years to come,” Weaver said. 

One of the struggles for the Del Norte Cemetery is the lack of consistent care. The cemetery located on County Road 13 is one of the oldest cemeteries in the immediate area and Weaver hopes to work with the museum to bring it back to life.  

Weaver and Cox also spent considerable time marking the hundreds of unmarked graves in Potter’s Field and throughout the cemetery in an effort to acknowledge all who are buried there.  

The students who participated in this first event portrayed some of the wives of the Civil War soldiers including Edward Paul Jones of Company H, 1st Colorado Calvery, Mathiew Babey, 2nd Battalion, Missouri State Militia from 1862, Frederick Klein Company D, 59th infantry from 1861,Frank Ihringer, Union Soldier, William W Mercer, Company E, West Virginia Infantry and George Fox, AKA George Fuchs, of the 92nd Illinois Infantry. 

Each of the characters were played by Upper Rio Grande School District students Bailey Smith, Danea Beltran-Quintana, Isabella Gonzales, Yanessa Ledford-Vigil and Brianna Kaufman-Brigham, and Ashton Defaye from Monte Vista High School. A huge thanks goes out to these amazing students for their passion and dedication to their community. 

Next up for the Del Norte High School Theater will be a production of “Game of Tiaras,” a comedy by Don Zolidis. This fun and inventive play adds a twist to the well-known book by George RR Martin which was also adapted into a TV show. 

“When the aging of king of a magical kingdom (England) decides to split his empire between his three daughters, Cinderella, Belle and the Snow Queen (Who in no way resembles a copyrighted character), terrible tragedy ensues. Terrible, hilarious tragedy.” 

The production will hit the Upper Rio Grande School District stage Nov. 21 and 22 at 7 p.m.