News : May is Cemetery Appreciation Month

Have you ever thanked the guy that takes care of the cemetery? Probably one of the least thanked persons are the ones responsible for caring for our loved ones resting places once they are gone. Evergreen Cemetery is a non-profit that has a Board of Directors. Pres. Robert Fischer; VP Rick Erickson; Sec./Treas. Deb Christianson; board members; Keith Ervin, Ron Dowd, Sue Birker and Ashlyn Christianson. These are the folks that worry about, plan for and are responsible that the resources are there to take care of Evergreen cemetery. Tim Fuchs is the full time sexton, who is responsible for the way the grounds are kept. He's the guy that makes the place look so clean and peaceful. Evergreen had It’s first burial in 1856. Did you know that we have an Iowa Governor buried there? Governor Sherman is laid to rest here along with lots of long past prominent residents. It’s on a list somewhere of being haunted, which it IS NOT...rest assured. In the past, Rich Farmer used to take students there every year, explaining it’s history. There is a lot of history there. There have been a couple of cemetery walks with people dressed in period clothing explaining who they were and what they did. It’s really a quite interesting place. So sometime when you want to visit an interesting place, or the kids want to read some of the interesting headstones, head on up to the cemetery for a bit of history. Donations for upkeep of the cemetery can be mailed to P.O. Box 534; Vinton, IA 52349. These go toward the upkeep of Evergreen. ------ WHEREAS, IOWANS ARE AWARE OF THE NEED TO PRESERVE THE RICH HERITAGE CONTAINED IN IOWA’S PIONEER HISTORICAL CEMETERIES, AND WHEREAS, THIS APPRECIATION OF THEIR ANCESTORS’ RESTING PLACES, DEVELOPS A SENSE OF PRIDE IN THEIR ANCESTOR’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND IN THEIR COMMUNITIES , AND WHEREAS, PRIDE AND RESPECT FOR OUR PIONEERS LEADS TO AN INTEREST IN AND CONCERN FOR THE FUTURE, IT IS WITH THIS THOUGHT IN MIND THAT WE DEDICATE THIS MONTH TO THE CARE OF OUR PIONEER CEMETERIES: NOW, THEREFORE, I, TERRY BRANSTAD, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF IOWA, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF MAY, 2014, AS

CEMETERY APPRECIATION MONTH IN IOWA. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I HAVE HERE UNTO SUBSCRIBED MY NAME AND CAUSED THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STAT E OF IOWA TO BE AFFIXED. DONE AT DES MOINES THIS 4TH DAY OF APRIL IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD TWO THOUSAND FOURTEEN, _____________________________ TERRY BRANSTAD GOVERNOR OF IOWA ATTEST: MATT SCHULTZ SECRETARY OF STATE