Funds are needed for cemetery upkeep

Don Estep is Publisher Emeritus of The News Journal.

Here it is Memorial Day, or as we used to call it decoration day. As a child I remember when crowds would gather, bring lunches, having singing and linger at the cemetery.
Things have changed with the passing of time. Now fewer people decorate and the stay lasts for only a few short minutes.

Because there are no relatives left to attend to the graves many are left without decorations.

The upkeep of most cemeteries is a gigantic problem. While they mostly get our attention on Memorial Day, the grass and weeds grow throughout the summer.

I don’t have the answers and I don’t know who would because there are so many cemeteries that require attention.

Shannon Hall, who is helping to raise money for the upkeep of Corinth Cemetery, stopped by our ofice today and informed me that it takes $9,000 each year for mowing and weedeating at Corinth. He also said it costs $1,800 to mow Pine Hill Cemetery in Corbin.

Raising money for the upkeep of cemeteries is a huge problem and one that doesn’t have an easy answer.

For one thing many of the people buried in these cemeteries no longer have a relative that would be responsible for the upkeep.

Another problem is very few people will take the responsibility to raise the necessary money for the upkeep.

In Corbin, the Kiwanis Club is in charge of Pine Hill Cemetery. It is obvious that they need a lot of money for the upkeep because the cemetery is so large.

In addition to mowing and weed eating the roads in the cemetery are beginning to need repair.

Again, what to do? I don’t have an obvious answer. Many people will have suggestions like organize a volunteer group or have a fund raiser. I’ve even heard of putting on a cemetery tax. You can imagine how that would go over.

I’m willing to give and so are many others. Often those willing to give do not know how to go about it.

Hall said that Corinth will be collecting donations, which by the way are tax deductible, this Saturday and Sunday or you may mail your contribution to Cumberland Valley National Bank, c/o Corinth Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 709, London, Ky. 40741.

As far as the many other cemetery funds I’m do not know but this newspaper is willing to print the necessary informtion.

My brother gave his life for our country while serving in the Air Force. I hate to think that some day when none of our relatives are left that his grave could become covered with weeds and forgotten.

We need to find a solution to a problem that only draws our attention at this time of the year. We must remember and honor our dead.
We are all headed there so one good way to help with this problem would be to add a part of your will to where your relatives are buried and where you will be.