The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1948-11-11
Points Out Lack
of Cemetery Care

To the Editor:
Weed-choked cemeteries, wi h
bushes and briers entwined tightly
around lOng-forgotten monuments,
blotting out the mortal records of
many Of a Western Maryland pioneer
and his descendants.
Dccaying, lettering fences around
oncc-r evered family burial plots, re-
vCaing great gaps through which
countless livestock range among the
graves, overturning markers, and
oblitcrating for all time the where
abouts of the last remains of some
beloved father, mother, son or daugh-
ter.
A tangle of underbursh hiding the
last resting place of some unknown
nineteen century family, their de-
scendants scattered to the nations
four coners-their graves unnotice1
the site certain to be lost before
another generation passes.
Not very pretty pictures are they
Yet, they are typical of scenes conf
mon in many of Garrett County's
nearly siXty-five cemeteries.
The most discouraging examples
are found in isolated sections of the
county where many old "bulying
grounds" exist In such eases, ali
relatives of the deceased have moved
from the area, leaving no one direct
ly interested in maintenance. Tine
is slowly wiping out all traces of the
graves.
In some places, Indifference Of
friends and relatives of the dead
have allowed cemeteries to become
mere weed patches in which single
graves, even entire family lots are
lost forever in a few years. Even in
the best kept cemeteries, there are
some plots which have little or no
care for decade.
Some of the community cemeteries,
some of the relatives of the dead
buried there gather once or twice a
yeaT-usually Memorial Day-for d
general cleanup and restoration. In
some cases, well-entrenchcd families
provide what amounts to perpetual
care" for the graves of their for
bears. Unfortunately such cases are
too few in Garrett County.
! have Travelled over much of tn"
States of Ohio and Michigan. In
those two states the cemeteries are
kept up beautifully, in both of these
states they are kept up by taxation,
which amounts to but d few mills on
the dollar to the tax payer.
The only solution to the problem
providing maintenance for the cour-
tvs ccmeteries-W0uld seem to be
that used, not only by many counties
throughout the country, but by n
least two states (Michigan and
Ohio public taxation.
Garrett COuptN with a pODula ion
of slightly over 10000 could be abl,
to provide public maintenance for It's
less than siXty-fivc cemeteries from
current revenues. It could with an
additional levy amounting to only
a few cents per year per person-be
able to restore the burial plots to .
respectable appearance cleaning OF,
the brush and briers, rebuilding
broken fences, rcsetting markers anG
monuments. And then, with even y
smaller annual levy. it could place
this maintenance program on a per-
manent basis-and keep it operating
year after year.
Under such program, Garrett
residents would not only be relieved
of their own private maint cnance cf-
forts-if they desired but would
gain satisfaction in the knowledge
that, come what may, the graves Of
their family, their friends and even
their own would receive the proper
- care deserved by our rcvered dead.
Garrett County can afford such a
Programs mark Of respect TO
its dead. Garrett residents should
lend their support 20 its establish
ment.