Town of Chichester NH
Cemetery Trustees’ meeting
September 4, 2023
September 4, 2023 @ 9:30 a.m. the Cemetery Trustees met at the Historical Society building. Ruth Hammen, Fred Shaw and Brenda Boswak attended the meeting.
OLD BUSINESS
Ruthie has spoken with Craig Sykes, Road Agent, about removing the dangerous dead trees in True Cemetery. We have decided to use the entire $2,000 budgeted for tree maintenance in cemeteries, that is included in the Road Agent budget for 2023, to make this cemetery as safe from dangerous trees as possible. We plan to address, again, for the 2024 budget, the need for money to be budgeted to accomplish the removal of the large very dangerous Ash tree in the Burying Yard Cemetery.
Ruthie has continued to sell Right of Interment’s and overseen interments this summer.
Lane Hodgkin has cleaned up Sanborn-Smith Cemetery on Swiggey Brook Road, Ruthie spoke with the abutting property owner prior to the maintenance.
Fred submitted the necessary paperwork to the Trustees of the Trust Funds, for payment of the invoices for gravestone restoration and gate repairs.
NEW BUSINESS
Brenda visited the Hook Cemetery once again to try to locate the gravestone of Justin Hook. She took photos of the boundary markers, that are visible, for the NH State Right of Way. Diane Loso, family owner and descendant of Hook Cemetery has notified Ruthie that she has organized a cleanup of the cemetery. The cemetery looks very nice currently. The Cemetery Trustees will propose, once again for the 2024 Chichester Town Meeting, that the town of Chichester accept responsibility for the maintenance of this cemetery. We will prepare the warrant article and other necessary paperwork in the coming weeks.
Brenda has refinished a few of the cemetery signs. They are not holding up to the outside elements as well as we anticipated. A new road sign has been installed by Hope In Christ Church, to replace the very old rusty sign, outside the Pineground Cemetery. Brenda will contact Riel Fence Co. about replacing the second granite gate post at Morrill Cemetery, so that the posts match.
Brenda will organize the Wreaths Across America event for this year and begin promoting the event. The date will be December 16, 2023. We would like to enlist the help of volunteers to plan, organize and oversee the ceremony portion of this event.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Boswak, Cemetery Trustee, Secretary