Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-11-12
PLACE FOR BURYING
HOW WOMEN PROVIDED AN ILLINOIS
TOWN WITH ONE.
wntsekn MatrOns Will Deautify 1t.
Annexation to Hold and Operate
Duryinx Ground Formed by Wide
Awake Club Members.

Awake CluD MCmberSs
In an Illinois town of 5000 popula-
ton. where civic interest Is not SO ag-
gressive as in larger communities, 1t
has devolved upon the women to pro-
vide a suitable place for the burial of
the dead, says the Chicago Tribune.
This task. a novel one when it is con-
sdered that housewives are the sole
movers in the enterprise, was under
taken short time ago by the WOman's
club of Watseka, the county seat of
Irouuois county. Having secured the
donation of twenty-four acres of land
lying outside the town, they have be-
come the owners of cemetery now
we'll along in the first stages Of devel-
opment. With funds secured by sub
scription they have cleared away acres
of underbrush and tanglewOOd and
have begun the laying out of roads and
the installation Of a water plant.
Natseka is an old town, considered
by Illinois standards, but 1t has been Of
slow growth because Of the lack of any
manufacturing enterprise to give en-
ployment to its inhabitants. 1t is in an
agricultural district on northern edge
of the corn country, and it's wealth;
lest citizens are retired farmers who
"moved into town" after they had
saved enough money to carry them well
to the end of their days.
Nearly all of them derive their in
come from farm lands in the neighbor-
hood and none is called wealthy except
because of his property Of this nature.
The younger generation, such as re-
main at home, are engaged for the most
part in purely local activities and have
but slight opportunity Of amassing
riches. Under such conditions civic in
terest lags. The retired farmer has his
home and is satisfied. The descendants
Of other farmers, the few who remain
at home and do odd jobs, are financial
ly restricted.
1t remains for local pride to show
itself in the fair sex, all of them with
homes and families to care for but
willing to make an effort to prevent
| the town from lapsing into decadence.
A library was needed and they housed
a few books in rented hall and laid
the foundation for structure that
now stands close second to the court
house for excellence. They were band
ed together to reach this end and from
their association grew wOman's club,
natural sequence. Prosperous and
active. 1t now numbers more than a
hundred members. True, 1t includes
the bridge whist club. subject of
much gossip, and the splnster who does
not believe in the Sunday newspapers,
but there Is no friction, for Its aim is
the "betterment of the community"
Another improvement, accomplished
after the "men folks had failed re-
peatedly in the same plan, was the
transformation Of an unsightly dump
ing ground and hitching stand near the
center Of the town into little park.
This was attempted only after the club
had successfully maintained summer
schools, one of manual training for the
boys and one Of domestic science for
the girls.
About this time it became apparent
that one Of the greatest needs Of the
community was a first class cemetery.
The old "burying ground" had been
filed, and new tract, owned by
| Frank p Martin and w. A. COney, had
beene opened in small lots. 1t was
entirely unimproved. All of the ground
unoccupied by graves, something over
| twenty acres, was tangle Of under
| growth. There were no roads through
| it, and all efforts to secure water had
| failed.
With this piece of wOrrisOme prop
erty on their hands the owners had
not the time to devote to its care, and
Mr.. Martin jestingly remarked one day
that If the organization would take 1t
of his hands they We're welcome to it.
He thought no more of 1t, and deal
almost had been completed whereby
one-half of the tract was to be sold
when q committee Of the club inter
/ posed with an objection that they were
considering the acceptance OF Mr.. Mar
tins offer He declared that his prom
Use was still good, but Mr. Coney de
clared that he saw no reason for Civ
ing away some $500 without any re
turns.
A mysterious pressure was Drought
to bear upon him, the sale was re
scinded, the WOman's Club Cemetery
association was incorporated, and the
property was placed in its name. The
labor of looscnng the purse strings OF
the leading citizens" was hard one
but the total of $4,000 was reached II
! two weeks.
The organization Of the cemetery as
ISOLATION is based upon committee
work, there being committee for eacl
branch of the cemetery development
Its officers are as follows: President
Miss Ora n. Chamberlain; vice preSi
dent, Mrs. Fred G.. Vennum; secretary
Mrs. Mcclellan Kay; treasurer. Mrs
NJ. II. Evans; directors, Mrs. Free L
Morris, Mrs. F. l.. Hooper, Miss Fran
ces Cissna, Mrs. Elmer Martin. Mrs
Frank L. Martin and Mrs. Clara Nj
Hilsher.
The first step to the Improvement OF
the cemetery proper was the engage
ment of Chicago landscape architect
Howard Evarts Weed, to devise thu
| plonS for tho Grounds His suggestion