Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
The honorable work of the Women’s Auxiliary Cemetery Association is never done. In 1960, this group of women, representing all of the churches in the area, planted new shelterbelts on both the north and west side of the grounds. Now, nearly 50 years later, those trees have all had to be removed, leaving both the Prairie Home and St. John’s cemeteries longing for new growth.
After the July 8, 2018 wind storm, the association rallied to clean up and take care of the cemeteries. Combined with the generous financial support of donors, the members have removed a total of 270 trees since: 150 last year and 120 more this year.
Considering the trees were already at or near the end of their lifespan, the focus is now on replanting. And in the true spirit of volunteerism, the members of WACA were thorough and focused, ensuring a bright future for the grounds.
In cooperation with the North Dakota Forest Service, the WACA has developed a detailed action plan for replanting the cemeteries. The spot of every tree to be replanted over the next several years has been chosen, marked and the species to be planted identified.
They have three major priorities right now:
--Veterans Memorial - there are no trees left in this area. The plan is to plant 16 trees here, including Green Mountain sugar maple.
--Behind the Catholic altar, they intend to plant six trees. The species they have chosen are Scotch pine and Redmond linden.
--A new north shelterbelt, where 38 new trees will be planted. Here a combination of flowering crabapple, Amur maple, Green Mountain sugar maple, and lilacs will be planted, among other species.
The cost of the restoration work has totaled $50,000 over the past 15 months. The tree removal costs represented more than 60% of that balance, $10,000 last year and $23,000 this year. Electrical costs totaled $10,000, and WACA spent $5,000 for the replanting plan. The replanting plan and the 2019 tree removal were part of a grant application they submitted to the North Dakota Forest Service. They were awarded a $10,000 matching grant, which they will receive upon the submission of a final report and certification of $20,000 spent on the project.
The cost of replanting the 60 trees noted above is estimated at $200 per tree, a total of $12,000.
Donations of ALL sizes are welcome and greatly appreciated by the association. Send your gifts to Women’s Auxiliary Cemetery Association, PO Box 77, New Rockford, ND 58356.
**Note to readers: This is a revised version from the one that was published in the Nov. 25 print edition.**
