For anyone who has been involved in genealogy or the death-care industry for very long, you know that there is a wide-range of attention paid to cemeteries. Sooner or later, everyone is going to die, and usually it is an afterthought that someone thinks about the preservation of a family cemetery, so I ask the question, "Will your cemetery be maintained throughout eternity?"
Some cemeteries are beautifully maintained. See, http://www.valdostamemorials.com/PonteVedra.asp for photos of the Ponte Vedra Cemetery in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
Other cemeteries have been neglected for short or long periods, with deterioration ranging from dense overgrowth to deteriorating foundations that have resulted in the toppling of monuments.
We believe it is the responsibility of everyone in the death-care industry to give back to the community by serving as advocates for cemetery maintenance.
Community Advocate: Lobby your town councils to maintain cemeteries as parks that memorialize the community heritage.
Trust Funds: I encourage the endowment of trust funds for family memorial and cemetery preservation.
Volunteer: I encourage everyone to volunteer to cemetery preservation. The monument industry has the expertise and equipment to make improvements beyond the capacity of lay people.
Work With Others: Boy Scouts and other community organizations will frequently volunteer to participate in community service projects. With photos and a press release, this is an excellent opportunity for publicity in community newspapers.
If you have other ideas or success stories, please share them with me, and I will post them here. I thank you for your contributions to cemetery and memorial preservation.
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