Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-05-03
What We Owe to Our Dead.

universally prevails than reverence and
love for the dead. Those who living
were perhaps only half appreciated, or
wholly neglected, become, after they
are dead, objects of tender regard and
veneration. Washington Irving, in
matchless phrases, has given US a pen
| picture of what love for the dead is in
the human heart. So it is that most
| beautiful monuments are erected and
costly decorations adorn the cemeteries
throughout the world.
In many places associations pay vast
sums Of money to beautify and decorate
| the cities of the dead. "Bonaventura"
| in Savannah, Forest Home" in New
York, the cemeteries in San Francisco
and New Orleans fill visitors with
admiration and are as much an object
of interest to the traveller as any other
object the cities furnish. We naturally
judge city or town by the appearance
of its cemeteries and parks. We
| naturally feel a pride in these things
and every public spirited citizen is
willing to share the burden of expense
necessary to the maintenance of a
nicely kept and beautiful resting place
for the dead. But to keep such places
in order and properly cared for it needs
united work, an association for combined
expense and labor. tits very unsatisfac-
tory to the individual who plants trees
or sods a lot, to find it has been q
useless expense and labor because of
the lack of facilities to properly tend
them.
A sexton employed by the year and
furnished a house at or near the
cemetery would fill much needed
want. There are many who would
gladly pay one dollar year Ga regular
fee in many places for the care of a lot,
keeping the grass cut and sod in perfect
condition. Others would most willingly
pay from three to five dollars for an
ornamental tree warranted to live and
thrive, and a sexton could find it
profitable adjunct to his business to deal
in ornamental trees. Then small
greenhouse might pay fair return on
the investment by furnishing grave
decorations, cut flowers and plants.
There are two cemeteries here side
by side; one man could care for both
and while making a good business
venture for himself prove blessing to
the city's good. We have in each of
the cemeteries a number of beautiful
monuments that are pride to our city,
and side by side with these we have
graves Of honored and beloved citizens,
who in life were ever ready to do public
service, that are weed grown, sunken
and neglected, stones fallen down and
earth torn up by wild animals. Are we
showing proper respect to let 1t remain
so? The times are ever changing.
Friends and relatives move away, old
age, circumstance, poverty often, and
absence more often becomes a bar to
the loving service Of keeping graves in
beauty. A half hour spent in our
cemeteries will serve to remind anyone
that we owe some care to the graves of
old settlers whose remains rest here
because they wished to rest in the city
with which their lives were identified,
where love and remembrance would be
accorded them. Shall we not make an
effort to have at least all the graves Of
old time honored citizens kept safe
from the ravages of time and wild
beasts while our beloved ones
"Under the sod and the dew
are waiting the judgment day?"