An Estimated 400-450 Attend Historical Walk At Oakwood Cemetery

October 3, 2024 at 6:20 p.m.
Pictured (L to R) are Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents member Ellen Hoffer, sexton Hal Heagy and Board members Ken Locke and Max Mock. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union
Pictured (L to R) are Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents member Ellen Hoffer, sexton Hal Heagy and Board members Ken Locke and Max Mock. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union

By JACKIE GORSKI Lifestyles Editor

Sexton Hal Heagy told the Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents Thursday that there were an estimated 400 to 450 people that attended the A Walk Through Our Past historic walk on Sept. 14.
Board President Ken Locke said he didn’t have any negative comments about the walk. There were some comments about technical things, but Locke said everyone liked the walk.
He said there was talk about having the walk every other year, but they didn’t want to commit to it until after the walk. Heagy said Mayor Jeff Grose would like to see it upped to every year, but it is a lot of work.
Locke said one of the things that came out of the walk is if an oak tree could be planted at the Boss circle, where Jacob Boss is buried.
Boss sold 30 acres to the city for a cemetery and he had to be the first person buried at the cemetery.
Heagy said part of the agreement was $2,000 for the acreage Boss gave and he would be buried under his favorite oak tree. The tree has been gone for a while. Heagy said there will be 18 trees planted at the cemetery and one of them will be an oak tree at the Boss Circle.
Also, Heagy said each actor or actors at each of the 12 stops were filmed and it will be uploaded to the city’s website under Oakwood Cemetery. Heagy didn’t have an exact date of when it would be available but said it would be worked on in the next couple weeks. He said people who missed the walk would be able to experience the walk afterward.
In other business, the board learned:
• The skylight in the office was removed from the office after there was a leak.
• Braxton Wilson was hired as a full-time employee.
• The cemetery’s wood giveaway has started.
• Fall cleanup at the cemetery has started.



Sexton Hal Heagy told the Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents Thursday that there were an estimated 400 to 450 people that attended the A Walk Through Our Past historic walk on Sept. 14.
Board President Ken Locke said he didn’t have any negative comments about the walk. There were some comments about technical things, but Locke said everyone liked the walk.
He said there was talk about having the walk every other year, but they didn’t want to commit to it until after the walk. Heagy said Mayor Jeff Grose would like to see it upped to every year, but it is a lot of work.
Locke said one of the things that came out of the walk is if an oak tree could be planted at the Boss circle, where Jacob Boss is buried.
Boss sold 30 acres to the city for a cemetery and he had to be the first person buried at the cemetery.
Heagy said part of the agreement was $2,000 for the acreage Boss gave and he would be buried under his favorite oak tree. The tree has been gone for a while. Heagy said there will be 18 trees planted at the cemetery and one of them will be an oak tree at the Boss Circle.
Also, Heagy said each actor or actors at each of the 12 stops were filmed and it will be uploaded to the city’s website under Oakwood Cemetery. Heagy didn’t have an exact date of when it would be available but said it would be worked on in the next couple weeks. He said people who missed the walk would be able to experience the walk afterward.
In other business, the board learned:
• The skylight in the office was removed from the office after there was a leak.
• Braxton Wilson was hired as a full-time employee.
• The cemetery’s wood giveaway has started.
• Fall cleanup at the cemetery has started.



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