The Cemetery Trustees, Ruth Hammen, Fred Shaw and Brenda Boswak met on October 6, 2025 @ 9:00 a.m. at the Historical Society building.
OLD BUSINESS
We received an estimate of $2,300 from Hodgkins Painting & Maintenance for removal of trees and brush and field mowing of the Fellows-Webster Cemetery. The Cemetery Trustees made a one-time request to the Trustees of the Trust to use funds from the Martha Dodge-Wilkerson Trust for this project. The Trustees of the Trust presented the proposal along with a letter from the owner of the trust agreeing to this proposal, to Three Bearings investment company. They were not in agreement with this proposal.
Garry Kalajian has completed the creation and installation of two black iron gates at Knowlton-Edgerly Cemetery. Once again Garry’s craftsmanship is excellent and beautiful! Garry submitted his invoice for payment which was $825 higher than estimated due to the complexity of the gate installation. The Cemetery Trustees approved the increase in cost. We prepared the payment authorization for Garry’s invoice for Fred to submit to the Trustees of the Trust Funds.
Don Cotnoir, NH Monuments, has completed restoration of three gravestones and cleaning the F. B. Brown gravestones and monument at Pineground Cemetery.
Ruthie attended the New Hampshire Cemetery Association meeting on October 7, 2025. Mike Horne spoke about QR codes that have been placed in the Head Cemetery in Hooksett and how that works. Shawn Buck gave a very informative presentation of the NH State Veterans’ Cemetery. The question-and-answer portion of the seminar provided helpful information covering many different situations that arise for Cemetery Trustees and the variety of ways they are handled.
NEW BUSINESS
Brenda will contact Garry Kalajian, blacksmith, Ararat Forge, to confirm if he is interested and available to give a design proposal and cost estimate to create two iron gates for Kaime Cemetery.
Tim Mayville has submitted a proposal for $1,500 to clear trees and brush at Fellows-Webster Cemetery. A motion was made by Ruth to approve Tim Mayville’s estimate to clear trees and brush at Fellows-Webster Cemetery. Fred seconded the motion. Motion carried. Martha Dodge-Wilkerson has offered to pay for this project with a check designated for this project.
The Cemetery Trustees have revised our gravestone location placement policy. The Cemetery Trustees will now be responsible for choosing the placement in the lot, because the stone provider usually calls Ruth for placement and the family members are often not living in the area. Fred has designed a clear, accurate cemetery map with lot location and gravestone placement location, to be used by gravestone supplier/installer, gravestone restorer, and Cemetery Trustees.
Ruth and Fred will draft the RFP for the 2026 season. Ruth will send the RFP to Hodkins Painting & Maintenance for a bid.
B-Line Fence Co. has repaired the main entrance gate at the Pineground Cemetery. The gate is now secure and swings easily. However, Brenda was in contact with B-Line Fence Co. to possibly proceed with repairs at Leavitt Cemetery gate, as proposed and estimated by B-Line Fence Co. Brenda spoke with Chip the week of September 1, 2025 notifying him we, tentatively, would like to proceed, but would like to meet with him at Leavitt Cemetery to confirm the work to be done. Chip never set up an appointment to meet with Brenda at Leavitt Cemetery. B-Line Fence Co. went forward with repairs on a cemetery gate, but it was located at Pineground Cemetery, not Leavitt Cemetery. B-Line Fence Co. has not requested payment for this accidental work completed. Brenda met with B-Line Fence Co. at Leavitt Cemetery on October 3, 2025, to discuss the repair work needed on the chain link gate/fencing. He will send an estimate for that project. The Cemetery Trustees discussed possibly reimbursing B-Line Fence Co. for materials used at Pineground Cemetery. No decision was made.
Brenda will call Don Cotnoir, NH Monuments, for the status of the ‘L’ cornerstones for Pineground Cemetery and to request him to proceed with three gravestone restorations at Knowlton-Edgerly Cemetery.
The Cemetery Trustees discussed and agreed to the proposal by Ruth to subdivide Lot #194 in Pineground Cemetery. Lot #194A will be the new lot identification number for the burial location of Ruth Kerr, now located on Lot #194, owned by Evelyn Rogers Sheehy-Richards.. Fred will make the change to the database.
The Cemetery Trustees were recently contacted by the new homeowner of the old Mayville homestead, on Lane Road, notifying them of the discovery of a gravestone on their property. The names on the gravestone are Nathan & Harriet Marden. There is a gravestone monument located in Knowlton-Edgerly Cemetery on the Nathan & Harriet Marden lot with their names engraved. The homeowner was tentatively going to meet with us today, but no one showed up during our meeting time. Tim Mayville will ask his brother for any further information that he may have regarding why these gravestones are on that property.
Cemetery Trustees agreed to revise our ‘Rules & Regulations’ to include the notation ‘no concrete vault required for any interment’. Fred will make the revisions in the database documents.
Brenda will begin the promotion of Wreaths Across America Day 2025 event.
The meeting was adjounred at 12:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Boswak, Cemetery Trustee, Secretary