Cemetery to Apply for Grant Funding for Columbariums
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents approved applying for a grant for six columbarium niches during its meeting Thursday night. The cemetery will apply for a grant through the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, Hal Heagy, cemetery sexton said. The grant will be for the columbarium niches that store burial ashes urns above ground. Kevin Planck, board president, and Heagy are working on applying for the grant. Board member Lewis Dobbins made the motion to apply for the grant, seconded by board member Arthur Brown, who has replaced Don Bixel on the board. In other business, the board approved making a $2,000 payment to Kosciusko County Historical Society for its work on the GIS mapping system of mapping burial lots in the cemetery. The board signed 13 burial deeds and heard there were 20 burials in the cemetery in March and eight lots sold. Heagy informed the board there were two oak trees in the cemetery hit by lightning. He is working to get a quote to take the trees down and will talk to Lacy Francis, street superintendent, about barricading the area. Heagy said the cemetery donated 31 loads of wood this year. The cemetery will purchase a $7,600 electric gate for the cemetery from Custom Fencing. By installing the gate there will not be a need to have a person be required to lock the gate every night, Heagy said. Police and fire personnel will have access to get into the gate. The cemetery purchased a $581 electrical pole that will allow NIPSCO to have a greater quantity of amps to run the gate, as well as other electric items if needed in the future. Heagy said cemetery employees have been working on filling in the new cemetery section with dirt, and the cemetery is looking to powerwash and paint the concrete wall at the cemetery. The board meets the first Thursday of the month at 5 p.m. at the cemetery. Board members are Dobbins, Planck, Brown and Ellen Hoffer.
