The Sauk Centre herald., 1940-10-17
SAUK CENTRE HERALD, sauk Centre, MINI.

OkAOh
had taken in thirty-fve dollars. And each year
moving Of the four acre plot alone had cost two
hundred!
c. E. Bohall can well remember that time As
secretary, he was about ready to toss in his hand
This isn't going concern" he told the trustees
II think I'll have to quit" The story is that
Gene Bohal, as he's favoritely called didn't quit
And for eighteen years this quiet-voiced man has
been one of the guiding factors in the strength of
this cemetery association
What happened as a result of that meeting is
that Mr.. Bohall was made both secretary and treas
urer. The group designated authority, took far
sighted stand on its finances. And in the years
since the average monthly collections have been
one hundred dollars. More than four hundred have
bought memberships at three dollars. Dozens of
lots have been sold at one hundred dollars for a
lot of eight graves. But the story We like is
what happened to Gene Bohall in those eighteen
years.
He'll confess readily that when he first took the
job it just another set Of books to keep There
particular interest. He knew that a ceme-
terry had to be maintained. When the Oddfellows
Lodge decided a separate organization to take
what then known as the Oddfellows ceme-
tery-operated by them since 18S3-wel Gene &C
cepted the appointment to the board of trustees.
But the more he got acquainted with the pro-
gram, the more he saw of the reactions Of people
toward providing for the dead, the more he became
convinced that, 1T does matter after I'm gone"
He believes very definitely that well-kempt ceme-
terry, the proper respect for ones departed an
other of the indications of a citys progress.
II have known most of the people buried out
there" he said, and showed personal interest.
"And don't suppose several teams of horses could
take me away from this work now" :. That's
what he said. That was enough. Here was a man
who had dovetailed neatly this work into part of
his life. He saw human nature on little diff
bought lot. Then she moved away, and she was
reminded of her payment It suggested that If
she didn't want the lot let it be decided back to the
association. She replied with remittance, and
that woman was working over a wash board or on
her knees on the floor to do it." There was
another time when a man had bought lot II
should be ready" he told Mr.. Bohall. few days
later the mans son-in-law occupied that lot.
ssss
But more than anything else the magnificent
rest of these men who have served on this trustee
list is the problem of perpetual care Today it's
made possible. Sixty percent Of the original pur-
chase price of the lot goes into the fund Carefully
selected and controlled investments are an outlet
for this money The interest for the perpetual
of these lots. People be assured Mr. Bohall
said that the last resting places for those departed
will, far it's humanity possible, be cared for
forever.
It was no easy task the Oddfelows faced back
in 1883. They bustling days to be lived. They
were thriving and growing and death-well, it was
still the least factor in the town. An earlier ceme
terry had been the John Dennis lots the present
site of Our Lady Of the Angels Church Graves
had to be transferred. Oakland cemetery in those
early days could be reached only fording the river
There was no road, no bridge. Graves were on
many farm lawns, out Of the way spots housed many
lone graves. Attempts to gather them together
in a common ground job of proportions.
There was no provision for perpetual care of ceme-
teres in those days Often records were not adequate
and there still some unmarked graves in this
community
Unmarked graves; the laxity Of perpetual
The gathering together Of lone graves.
Since 1922 the unmarked grave is thing of the past
and than 500 burias, it is estimated, have been
has been maintained with the association having
authority to set monuments and markers.
It was odd When I started out to get this story
I had the little oddities in mind Like the one
which is probably the oldest marker of the lot that
states pair of initials, gives the date of birth
historical oddities of the old Dennis lots Of Oak
land. OF statistics like this: In some years
Greenwood has been moved 1S times in single
season. With 16-inch mower the caretaker cut
interesting enlightening, things we didn't know
about cemeteries. But what we found was much
more powerful story. The story of the personality
of men, the story Of the place the cemetery and its
$50.
There was Vern Burgess president in 1924 A
more genuine lover of flowers this town never saw.
And Vern Burgess instrumental in that
cemetery association too. In his drives around the
country he would stop at nearly every cemetery find
out its policies look its methods of care.
In 1925 when the association wanted new fence
Mr. Burgess devoted countless hours Of time to the
proposal Result is that new fence, one that will
stand forever perpetuating his memory and the
others who labored and those who lie there was
erected. We found story Of personalities A
warming human story. story Of the Oddfeows
and their directors. of early struggings to make
out of more less chaotic effort to respect the
dead uniformity that would stand for all time
as a symbol.
This too sketchy story is not the story of Green
wood alone. Nor of Mr.. Bohall and Mr. Burgess
nor OF all the directors Of Greenwood It's spirit
IS the story behind the cemeteries Of st. Paul's
SaiVary and Oakland. Which brings us to a point
There are four cemeteries for this CITY, yet to
parent first gances there but three . . . It hap