HANNIBAL, Mo. — The George H. Riedel Private Foundation has awarded a second matching grant to the Riverside Cemetery Association to continue vital improvements to the historic cemetery’s infrastructure. The $5,000 grant will support the next phase of a multi-stage restoration project aimed at making the cemetery more accessible to the public.
Riverside Cemetery, perched on a Mississippi River bluff near the iconic Lovers Leap, is the final resting place of George H. Riedel (1913–2000), the former president of F&M Bank and founder of the Riedel Foundation. The cemetery dates back to the 1860’s. Its scenic location has long been a point of pride for the community, but deteriorating access roads have made it difficult for visitors to reach the site safely.
In 2024, the Riedel Foundation awarded a $10,000 matching grant to the cemetery association, which successfully leveraged the funds with an additional $10,000 in community donations. That initial investment enabled the complete reconstruction of the main access road, transforming it from a nearly impassable path into a drivable route.
“The cemetery board was able to leverage our original matching grant to make the road drivable,” said Dr. Michael Bukstein, lead trustee of the Riedel Foundation, in a press release. “They were good stewards of the money and also had many volunteers helping with in-kind work. We wanted to continue to support the project with this latest matching grant.”
The new $5,000 grant, also requiring matching funds, will help complete additional improvements, including a new loop road, turnabout access and signage. The association also has plans for a new veteran’s memorial.
To help raise money for the matching portion of the grant, the Hannibal Arts Council (HAC) is hosting a holiday jazz performance to benefit the Riverside Cemetery Association. The HAC benefits from a grand piano once owned by the late Jason Duggar (1972-2009) who is interred at Riverside Cemetery.