Town of Chichester, NH
Cemetery Trustees’ meeting
August 5, 2024
The Cemetery Trustees, Ruth Hammen, Fred Shaw and Brenda Boswak met on August 5, 2024 @ 9:00 at the Historical Society building.
OLD BUSINESS
Garry Kalajian, Ararat Forge, completed and installed the new iron gate at Brown Cemetery on Ring Road. Garry designed, created and installed a functioning gate, suitable for the time period of the cemetery, using quality materials and his expert craftsmanship as a blacksmith. It has been a pleasure to work with a true, professional, talented blacksmith to accomplish our long-term goal of adding and/or restoring the gates on the cemeteries in Chichester. He completed the work in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost and responded with immediate answers to correspondence as well as attending two of our meetings. Gates provide a sense of privacy and respect for the deceased and their families, serve as a decorative element and add to the overall aesthetics of the cemetery. A gate around a cemetery serves as a symbol of respect and reverence for the deceased as a sacred, protected space. The new gate is a beautiful work of art!! We are very excited to have accomplished this first step. Garry will begin work on the gate for Morrill Cemetery this week.
NEW BUSINESS
We have decided to have Don Cotnoir, NH Monuments, move forward with repairs at Page Cemetery, after more thought and discussion. He proposed taking the gravestones to his shop, during the winter months, to complete the painstaking task of piecing together the stones. This cemetery had a fence around the perimeter at some point in the past. This may be a project to add to our list.
Cornerstones have been placed for the ‘Allaire’ lot in Leavitt Cemetery. Brenda will submit the invoice for payment to the Town Administrator.
Brenda will create and present an informational photo display for representation by the Cemetery Trustees at Old Home Day.
Brenda will contact Joseph Beachy, Extol Tree Care for an updated estimate for removing the dead Ash tree in Burying Yard, using a proposed route from the Main Street side of the cemetery, removing the iron bars in one section.
Brenda emailed the Town Administrator, Jodi Pinard for confirmation that the $3,000 stipend donation from Mike Williams is available for use at this time. The money is available now. Brenda will request a deposit invoice from Don Cotnoir, NH Monuments for repair work at Hook Cemetery. Don began dismantling the old iron rails and granite posts last week.
Ruthie assisted members of the Bruce Rowell family with a location for burial in Leavitt Cemetery.
Lane Hodgkin, requested Ruthie contact the abutting property owner to Sanborn-Smith Cemetery, due to the fact that entry to the cemetery is possible only through their property, to inform them that he would be coming to maintain the cemetery.
Fred has contacted Tim Mayville to ask him to remove an enormous dead limb that has come down inside Brown Cemetery.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Boswak, Cemetery Trustee, Secretary