January 5, 2026
Cemetery Trustees’
Meeting Minutes
The Cemetery Trustees, Ruth Hammen, Fred Shaw and Brenda Boswak met on January 5, 2026 @ 9:30 a.m. at the Historical Society building.
OLD BUSINESS Ruth and Brenda attended the December 9, 2025, Selectmen and Budget Committee meeting to present our 2026 budget request of $7,000 for general expenses and $9,000 for tree removal expenses. The Board and Committee requested that we obtain an estimate to remove all the trees endangering the cemeteries and combine with the Road Agent’s list of dead trees needing removal and submit a warrant article for 2026 town meeting. Joseph Beachy, Extol Tree Care, LLC estimated $50,000 +/- would be required.
Our successful fifth year of participating in the national Wreaths Across America Day event took place on Saturday December 13, 2025, at Veterans’ Memorial Park at noontime. It was a cloudy, cold day, with 40+/- attendees at the ceremony. Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Frank Swirko carried out the role of Master of Ceremonies, once again this year, with honor, attention to detail and thoughtfulness. He spoke words of recognition for Chichester’s only Missing in Action service member, Private 1st Class, US Army, John Kelley, by sharing some details of the military engagement John was involved in in Korea. Chichester’s 220 veterans’ gravesites each received a Remembrance Wreath placed by a volunteer. We are very pleased with the support and participation in the event.
NEW BUSINESS
The Cemetery Trustees met with the Road Agent, Joe McDaniels, to discuss the request from the Selectboard and Budget Committee to combine the dead tree removal projects for the cemeteries and those that the Road Agent would like to remove for a warrant article for 2026 town meeting. We concluded, after much discussion, that combining the projects is not feasible and would be a financial burden to the taxpayers. The Cemetery Trustees are not in favor of submitting a warrant article for 2026 town meeting to request $50,000+/- for tree removal. Both departments decided to retain the $9,000 2026 Tree Removal budget request for cemeteries’ dead trees and the Road Agent will retain the $11,000 2026 Tree Removal budget request for roadside tree removal. The Cemetery Trustees will continue working on the removal of the deadliest trees endangering the cemeteries, as funds and resources allow.
It has come to the attention of the Cemetery Trustees that a trust was never created for Madeline Kilmister at the time of purchase of a burial lot # 138 BL, in Leavitt Cemetery. Fred will verify with the Town Treasurer that the Kilmister check, for $360, was deposited in the town’s bank account. Granite cornerstones are set on the lot; it seems reasonable to conclude $100 was paid to Perry Bros. Monument for those. $200 should have been submitted for creation of a trust for Kilmister. Fred will submit the ‘sale of lot receipt’ and verification of deposit with the town, to the Trustees of the Trust Fund to create a trust.
Brenda will contact Don Cotnoir, NH Monuments to confirm his availability for gravestone restoration and supply of cornerstones for 2026.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Boswak, Cemetery Trustee, Secretary