Cemetery Trustees’ meeting
May 5, 2025
On May 5, 2025 @ 9;00 a.m. the Cemetery Trustees met at the Historical Society building. Ruth Hammen, Fred Shaw and Brenda Boswak were in attendance.
OLD BUSINESS
The Selectmen approved our request to appoint Justine Hayward and Gloria Beachy as Cemetery Trustee alternates for one year.
We have a donation offer to grind the stumps at True Cemetery, at no cost. Brenda will coordinate with ‘The Tree Guy’, Phil Carpenter.
There is now a second key to the Leavitt Cemetery gate padlock.
Dave Colbert cleaned up and removed all the debris from the large tree that fell inside of Leavitt Cemetery. Ruthie sent a thank you note to him from the Cemetery Trustees.
We met with Stephanie Berkely about the damaged gravestone bench for ‘Burke’.
The Selectmen approved the payment of $2400 from Cemetery Capital Reserve Fund to Extol Tree Care, LLC for the balance due on tree removal work at True Cemetery.
Ruthie and Brenda joined with approximately 100 Cemetery Trustees. Managers, sextons, and gravestone enthusiasts from around New Hampshire at the NH Cemetery Association seminar on April 8, 2025, at the Derryfield Country Club. Terry Knowles presented an excellent informative power point on Charitable Gift Trust procedures and New Hampshire RSA’s pertaining to cemetery laws, oversight, care and maintenance. NEW BUSINESS
Brenda has been cleaning children’s gravestones in the Pineground Cemetery and Leavitt Cemetery and retreating veterans’ gravestones as needed. Approximately 39 children’s gravestones have been cleaned, so far.
We prepared an authorization for payment to submit to the town for reimbursement to Brenda for supplies.
Heather Taluba has offered for a boy scout troop to assist with placing American flags on veterans’ gravesites for Memorial Day. Brenda will coordinate a date and time with her. We will inspect the flags today and determine how many we need to purchase for this season.
Ruthie continues responding to phone calls, emails etc. and assisting with ‘Right to Inter’ purchases.
The $2400 balance due for tree removal at True Cemetery has been paid to Extol Tree Care, LLC.
We submitted a request to the Trusts of the Trust Funds for a $2500 payment to Garry Kalajian, Ararat Forge for his requested deposit to begin creating gates for Knowlton-Edgerly Cemetery.
Fred continues the process of keeping cemetery documents preserved and uploaded to Google Drive as well as hard copies in files.
The trustees have made a change to the Landscaping and Monuments section of the Rules and Regulations to read
“2. NO ITEMS other than live plants are permitted on a gravesite and placement not to exceed a distance of 12” from the stone".
The goal is to prevent ‘items’ being left on the gravesites which end up attracting animals, blowing around the cemeteries and presenting a mowing hazard. Brenda will contact the Town Administrator to post on this information on the town website. Fred will post on the Facebook Community page and Ruthie will request Evelyn Pike submit to Concord Monitor.
The meeting was adjourned @ 11:45 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Boswak, Cemetery Trustee, Secretary