The following article was prepared by Rob Bleck (with some help from Martin Heavner) to spotlight the progress the Fort Collier Civil War Center has made in preserving the Stine family graveyard and to thank Jim Coots of Mount Hebron Cemetery for his invaluable help and advice:

He Came, He Saw, and Made a Dream Come True

The summer heat was relentless, as the sun glared down with an intensity that mirrored the urgency of Carol Bleck's search. Her quest to uncover pieces of her family's history brought her to this unfamiliar territory, an area steeped in the whispers of time and the echoes of lives once lived. Amid the wavering mirage of the day’s heat, a story was about to unfold, one that would intertwine the past with the present in unexpected ways. It was then that she heard the crunch of approaching footsteps. Startled, Carol turned to see a man, his face weathered but kind.

The man she met on that hot summer day was Jim Coots, Superintendent of Mount Hebron Cemetery. She told him she was looking for her ancestral graves and was hopelessly lost. Together they found what she was searching for and struck up a conversation. She introduced herself as Carol Bleck and described her situation at the Fort Collier Civil War Center (FCCWC), where she is president, and the site of the historical Stine family farm, which contained the unmarked graves of Rachel and Benjamin Stine along with other family members.

Jim was intrigued. He suggested they visit the Stine property.

Jim met Carol and her husband Rob and surveyed the ancestral gravesite. The cemetery, hidden in plain sight, revealed a lineage bound to the land's dramatic past—one fraught with upheaval during the Civil War and marked by the resilience of those who called it home. Overgrown and forgotten by time, it held secrets that begged to be unveiled. Carol felt a spark of hope, perhaps Jim would be instrumental protecting the memory of her ancestors' graves. Perhaps the legacy of Rachel and Benjamin Stine would come to light, giving voice to their descendants and shining a spotlight on the impact of their sacrifices.

They discussed their desire to install a perimeter fence to protect the site. Jim said he would certainly help and had some ideas. They thanked him and invited him to the annual meeting. Jim attended the meeting (became a member), and he and Rob went to the grave site and discussed the project further. The Apple Blossom festival occupied Jim, and certainly many others for the next few weeks, but shortly thereafter he contacted Rob with a list of materials needed for the project. A few short days after that, the cemetery perimeter fencing was installed!

Jim Coots was the catalyst for the graveyard project and instrumental in its design and construction. The collaboration to install a perimeter fence will respect the Stine family's history and transform the neglected cemetery into a place of reverence and beauty, a tangible tribute to the sacrifices made by those who came before.

When Martin Heavner, FCCWC member and a 3rd great grandson of Rachael and Benjamin, observed the completed gravesite project, he reminisced, “The Stine family had to abandon the farm shortly after construction began on the earthworks of Fort Collier. After the war, however, Isaac Stine – son of Rachel and Benjamin – returned and, with the help of his family and brothers, rebuilt the farmhouse and revived the 500-acre farm. It became a prosperous and well-respected enterprise that remained in the Stine family for several generations.”

“We the descendants of Rachel and Benjamin Stine are so thankful for the immense efforts of the Fort Collier Civil War Center to identify, preserve and honor our family’s remains,” said Heavner. “We’re especially grateful for the work Jim Coots, Rob and Carol Bleck have done to fence and landscape the family cemetery and make it a special place of remembrance and honor for all that occurred on this land. The Stine family story is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the bonds that persist across generations.”

“On behalf of the entire Stine family, thank you so very, very much!!”

Jim Coots did indeed make a dream come true.