1st Annual Cemetery Newsletter Feb 2007

Burlington Cemetery
Barley Street
Burlington, N.S.

1st Annual Cemetery Newsletter
Feb., 2007

Burlington Cemetery has, for many years, been taken care of by a very small group in the community, and foremost of those was John Bezanson, who had a great love and regard for those interred in these hallowed grounds. We wish to thank him, posthumously, and also his son, Bill, who took over the responsibility when his father passed on. We all owe them a great debt of gratitude for the work they did. We also wish to thank Leslie Saunders for his selfless job of lawn care for several years.

As of September, 2006, a new society for the preservation of the cemetery, and its historical significance, was formed. We have a full slate of executive and directors.

Throughout the fall of 2006, many improvements took place at the cemetery. Sixty-five graves were filled with top soil which was donated by Ken Lutz of Morden. These lots were also re-seeded with lawn seed donated by Shur Gain, thanks to Katie Hirtle. Most of the seeding was done by Les Saunders and Roy Williams. They also pulled many footstones that had become buried in the sod and reset those on crusher dust, a load of which had been donated by Reg Clem and Lafarge Canada. Several stones were also straightened and one replaced on its base, after falling over. Tom Metcalfe, local geologist, took on the job of repairing stones that needed more work, including one on the north side belonging to Delia Lutz, this being paid for by Shirley Smith of Florida. He did a great job with a very difficult project.

Phil Vogler has developed a website for the Burlington Cemetery that can be accessed at https://sites.rootsweb.com/~canbrnep/burlingtCem.htm

A plot plan and a list of all stones and their inscriptions was done by Robert and Doreen Bennett, with Donna Sabean, and is on the website. While doing the plot plan, we came across a marker for Norman Gould, a veteran of WW1, that did not have a Legion cross. We made this known to the local Legion and they, very quickly, put a cross by his stone. Merle Armstrong has been instrumental in dealing with Veterans Affairs and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Through his efforts, we have received, and will continue to receive yearly, $40.00 from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for Norman Gould’s grave upkeep, as he died while in active service. Merle is also in the process of writing profiles of all those interred at the cemetery and will put these stories on the website.

We have refurbished the sign on the north entrance. It was painted by Lois Bearden of Harbourville.

We have already begun plans for the 2007 season.

The lawn maintenance contract has been awarded to James Stevens of Morden, at a cost of $2350. for an average of 22 mows and trims per season.

There is a drainage problem on the west end of the south cemetery. Hence, a voluntary project has been started by Reg Clem to cut the trees along the south and west line, have it ditched and lay drainage tile. This job will also include the replacement of the fence along those sides. This project will certainly incur some cost to the cemetery, even with all the volunteer labour.

Reg Clem has also offered to replace the gate on the south side entrance.

We also plan to remove dead and dying shrubbery. A committee, headed by Donna Sabean, has been formed to see to the replacing of shrubbery and any other necessary landscape improvements we can afford.

We are considering the commission of a stone to commemorate all the unmarked graves at the cemetery, perhaps to be placed at the entrance to the north side.

All in all, we simply want Burlington Cemetery to be a well kept and pleasant place to visit and to remember our loved ones.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have made donations since the society was formed, and the volunteer work that has been done. It is truly amazing what a small group can do. If it were not for your generous support, we would not have been able to accomplish what we have to date.

To the surprise of some, there is no perpetual care fund for this cemetery and in order to complete our goals for 2007, we would like you to consider making a donation (if you have not already done so recently) on behalf of your loved ones who are at rest in the Burlington Cemetery.

Please make cheques payable to Burlington Cemetery Society, c/o Pat Kemp, R.R. 5, Berwick, N.S. B0P 1E0. For your convenience, a pre-addressed envelope has been included.. All donations can be used for income tax purposes and receipts will be issued.

The Current Executive of the Cemetery Society are:

Brian Hirtle - President
Drew Armstrong - Vice-president
Doreen Bennett - Secretary
Pat Kemp - Treasurer
Phil Vogler - Publicity/Advertising

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