Pictured from left are Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents member Ellen Hoffer, sexton Hal Heagy and board members Ken Locke and Max Mock.Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union.

By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union

WARSAW — The date has been set for the Cemetery Walking Tour as Sept. 14, with the weekend after being set as a rain date, the Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents was told Thursday, March 7.

Board President Ken Locke said the Cemetery Walking Tour Committee has identified the people who are going to be featured for the walking tour, but the list of people is not being disclosed yet.

“It’s coming along quite well,” Locke said, noting “we’re looking forward to that.”

Sexton Hal Heagy said if the tour is a success, “I know (Warsaw Mayor) Jeff (Grose) talked highly about it, some other people talked about it, it’s kinda of a buzz, is that we just do it every two years. There’s so many stories out there, why not? That’s what this city was built on is those people out there. That’s why we’re here today.”

In other business, the board heard:

• American Legion Post 49 is looking to place flags at the cemetery on Armed Forces Day May 18.

• The Memorial Day service is May 27 starting at 10:30 a.m., with the main service at 11 a.m.

• The frame for the bell to be placed in the cemetery is almost done. When the frame is done, Heagy said it will be powdercoated.

Locke said the plan at this point is for the bell to be part of the Memorial Day ceremony and definitely the Veterans Day service, as well as other occasions.

• The Preacher’s Stand needs work on the back of the roof. Heagy said he plans on building a back door at some point, but other than that, the Preacher Stand should be good.

• Doing work on the entrance of the cemetery came in higher than Heagy expected, with a quote being at $39,000. He wants to put pavers and benches at the entrance and remove some bushes. Heagy wants the work done by the fall.

• The cemetery gave away seven loads of wood this month. People can get vouchers from The Salvation Army for a free truckload of wood a month.

• Two 150th anniversary banners are flying at the cemetery. The board OK’d the purchase of the two banners in February.

• Beaver Dam Tree Service removed two semi-hollow trees behind the office due to safety concerns.

• Winter graves are being prepared for sod application.

• Cemetery staff is filling the low area on the southwest side of the cemetery with fill dirt.

The next meeting will be at 5 p.m. April 11 at Warsaw City Hall.