Cemetery work

A writer in Iowa notes that caring for a cemetery is like working in a park.

College welding students create cemetery gate

Students at a community college in Mississippi create a sign at the entrance of a cemetery. What a great way to get young people involved in cemetery care.

Spring renews concerns about Illinois cemetery

Supporters of a cemetery in Illinois wonder who will take care of the grounds?

Funeral homes and winter (cemeteries, too?)

Here's an article about the struggles of funeral homes in dealing with bad winter weather. Are cemeteries struggling, too? In ways more than the obvious, such as snow removal and digging graves?
I'm eager to find out whether there are long-term issues with heavy snow...saturated ground, wind damage, etc. Feel free to comment here and write to my e-mail address with information and leads for a future article here.
Here is a similar article in the Washington Post.
FoxNews also has a report.

Decision near on Fall River cemetery

Officials in Fall River, Mass., should decide soon on whether to take over a historic cemetery that has been "orphaned" in recent years.

Jewish burial societies

The New York Times reports that, with the demise of Jewish burial societies, some cemeteries are falling into disrepair.

Grand jury investigates cemetery operations

Here's an unusual take: a county grand jury in San Luis Obispo County, California, has investigated the care of local cemeteries.
Here is the grand jury's report:

Ohio cemetery on the rebound

A year after residents complained about the conditions of Spring Grove Cemetery in East Liverpool, Ohio, this report shows that local volunteers have helped turn things around.

More on Freetown, Fall River, Mass., cemetery

Here's another piece discussing the disputed Mother's Brook Cemetery, which once suffered from neglect and now is under dispute as to what body should care for it.

Maryland cemetery custodian retiring

The Baltimore Sun has a feature story about the retiring custodian of the Green Mount Cemetery. This link includes video.

Cemetery resolutions for 2009

THIS IS the last thing you need - another list of resolutions/suggestions for the coming year. But threats to cemeteries have never been more serious. Constant suburban sprawl and urban redevelopment are threatening existing cemeteries and grabbing land that otherwise could be used for burial grounds. The economic downturn has led to increased looting at cemeteries of anything that might be of value - from brass ornaments to even wrought-iron gates. These cases are a burden to the cemeteries themselves and to law-enforcement and the courts.
So, in the spirit of gentle prodding, I suggest:
> Visit cemeteries on some other occasion than to bury a loved one. One of the root causes of our problems with cemeteries is that too few people visit unless they are there for a funeral. When I began my research in 2007, the owner-operator of Manahath Cemetery in Glassboro, N.J., told me that our society pushes off important decisions such as burial arrangements - sometimes until never - which, among other things, leaves a tremendous burden on the surviving loved ones.
Well, it also leaves a burden of another type - onto the owners and operators of cemeteries. People don't notice if a graveyard has fallen into disrepair until they go there to visit their loved ones. Maybe if we all spent a little more time in cemeteries while we are alive, we'd see another way to help our communities.
It also might give society a greater sense of respect for the dead. Yes, some of the vandalism that occurs is caused merely by bored teens, but some of it shows a particularly destructive side to human nature. Perhaps if we thought more about cemeteries, we'd show greater respect for the sacred grounds and pass on this sense of respect to our children.
> While there, take pictures. Many genealogical, historical, landscape architectural, etc., organizations would be interested in your work - and you just might pick up a new hobby in the meantime.
> Urge your local cemetery owner-operators to consider natural-burial options. State regulations differ, but many states don't absolutely ban such practices; rather, conventional burials, with wooden coffins, concrete or steel vaults, and finely (and expensively) manicured lawns have become a standard business practice for the convenience of those owner-operators. The non-profit Green Burial Council estimates that enough metal is buried in the ground each year to build a new Golden Gate Bridge.
Likewise, urge owner-operators to consider native plants for their grounds. Natives are - naturally - more resistant to disease and drought conditions and take less work to care for them.
> Urge your local wildlife and nature organizations to form partnerships with cemeteries. In Camden, N.J., observers to the Harleigh Cemetery have recorded dozens of animal and plant species; most cemeteries can do the same - and, with the help of nature organizations, can help replenish what's gone and restore what's trying to get a foothold.
Birdwatching groups, especially, have plenty of options for bird counts; don't forget to include cemeteries as the location for your count.
> Get involved with your local historic preservation organization; many of them are involved at some level in keeping old cemeteries attractive, and all of them can use the help.
> Get involved with your local zoning, planning, redevelopment, etc., organizations. As research has shown, someday, sometime, somehow, we'll have to find room for the 350 million-plus souls in the U.S. alone. The communities with foresight will have ideas on where and how to expand existing cemeteries and where to build new ones. Such organizations also are well-versed in ways to incorporate cemeteries into local "greenways" programs; sometimes the cemetery is the only patch of green in town. These organizations also should be at the forefront in planning for such things as stormwater runoff, drainage, flooding protection and other items that fall under the banner of "urban planning," and folks with knowledge of this particular area of focus would be welcome.
> Commit yourself to one service project a year. If you can get involved with an organization, that's all well and good, but you can also devote some time to your own, personal good deed. You don't need to work under some community banner to be a good citizen. Maybe it's cleaning up some trash around the entrance. Maybe it's buying some American flags to place on veterans' graves, or working with a local vets organization to help them with their projects.
For help in making any of the above resolutions, see the first one listed - visit cemeteries - to get started.