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The weather turned cool and breezy as the sun set in the western sky Thursday night.
The lights of Clemens Field glowed to provide sight for Hannibal-LaGrange baseball players and their opponent for a fall exhibition game, but next to the clang of aluminum bats and the faint cheers of a small crowd, the neighborhood was fairly quiet.
With just 20 minutes left in the six o’clock hour, a number of cars began to pull into the parking lot at the James O’Donnell Funeral Home. People began to file into the building, however, this wasn’t for final respects and a moment to say good-bye to a loved one. This was for answers, this was for a progressive step forward, this was for the future of Riverside Cemetery.
A large crowd of about 40 gathered into a large visitation room inside the longtime funeral home for the annual meeting of the Riverside Cemetery Association Board. Some of the attendees were plot owners, some were descendants of people buried at the cemetery. Others had an interest out of respect for the dead and the famous figures that now call Riverside Cemetery their final resting place.
“We’re hoping to move forward,” cemetery board treasurer Debbie Stith said to get the meeting started. “All the income that we have is from CD interests and the checking and savings which a lot of you know don’t make a whole lot of interest at this point.”
Stith reported that income up to Sept. 22 was $4,113.13. Expenses were $8,520.37 and the remaining work budget is $640.79. With a total of eight mowings, four each over the summers of 2010 and 2011, the cemetery spent $6,850.
The last financial report was given in April 2010.
Low funds was the obvious news coming from Stith’s report. Mowings charged at $850 a mow only allow for four mowings a year.
But the purpose of the meeting wasn’t to just go over the finances. A big reasoning behind the meeting was to reconstruct the board.
Peter Danielsons resigned as board president amidst coverage surrounding the cemetery and board members Rodney Brumbaugh and his father, Larry stepped down from their posts. Little did they know that their distance from the governing body of the historic cemetery would be brief.
The cemetery’s bylaws allow lot owners and family members to join the board and at first lot owners inside the dimly lit visitation room were hesitant to get involved. Max Capp, who has relatives buried in Riverside, was the first to express interest in getting involved. At the meeting’s start the Riverside Cemetery Association Board consisted of four people — Stith, Kathy Dugger, Bill Hatton and Ann Nagy, who initially requested that the media be removed from the meeting.
Bylaws require a board of 11 and at least seven to operate as a quorum, but with Danielsons and the Brumbaughs out of the picture, the cemetery board didn’t even have enough to do anything. Something had to be done. Danielsons is very knowledgeable with cemetery records and the Brumbaughs are willing to donate time to cemetery care. That’s when after several discussions, clarifications, displays of support and a venting session over coverage in the Courier-Post over the past month, the board eventually swelled to the 11 members needed.
“There’s a lot that goes into this that the general public does not see,” Jim O’Donnell said.
Add board membership from others; Rose Stark, Susan Henson and Marilyn Bowers, Rodney and Larry Brumbaugh rejoined the board with Danielsons, who was voted by the new members as the president.
“You’ve got to stay involved and you’ve got to help,” Danielsons said as he took over the operations of the meeting. “Now is the time to go forward instead of griping about what went on in the past.”
The meeting later progressed into the cemetery’s appearance. Neil Anderson, a potential bidder on mowing duties, has offered not only to keep the grass at a pleasing level, but has also offered ways to reset fallen markers and headstones. However, the home at the entrance of the cemetery was a discussion almost everyone had a say in.
Andy Hatton, Bill Hatton’s son, was living in the home rent free. In return he kept an eye on the cemetery by doing several rounds and keeping potential vandals out. But now that the house has no one living in it, many of the lot owners want it gone. Trash still lingers around the structure that years ago housed the cemetery’s caretaker. Some suggested tearing the place down, while others supported donating the house to the City of Hannibal to use for fire training.
When all was said and done, the Riverside Cemetery Association Board, which had little interest recently with only a handful of members now not only had a full board, but they had grouped together into separate committees. One committee is going to find ways to raise money for the cemetery and the other is going to advertise and review bids for possibly a better mowing cycle.
Money could also come in from open areas of the cemetery that would allow for burials.
“There are lots that could be sold,” Danielsons said.
Another board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at James O’Donnell Funeral Home.
You can help
Despite the dilapidated house’s appearance at the cemetery’s entrance, Stark wants it to at least look presentable as well as possible. She plans to be at the house Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., to start collecting the trash around it. Anyone willing or with interest to help is encouraged to come.
Donations to the cemetery are also encouraged to give the board a better financial standing. Donations can be sent to Riverside Cemetery, P.O. Box 332, Hannibal, MO 63401.
The weather turned cool and breezy as the sun set in the western sky Thursday night.
The lights of Clemens Field glowed to provide sight for Hannibal-LaGrange baseball players and their opponent for a fall exhibition game, but next to the clang of aluminum bats and the faint cheers of a small crowd, the neighborhood was fairly quiet.
With just 20 minutes left in the six o’clock hour, a number of cars began to pull into the parking lot at the James O’Donnell Funeral Home. People began to file into the building, however, this wasn’t for final respects and a moment to say good-bye to a loved one. This was for answers, this was for a progressive step forward, this was for the future of Riverside Cemetery.
A large crowd of about 40 gathered into a large visitation room inside the longtime funeral home for the annual meeting of the Riverside Cemetery Association Board. Some of the attendees were plot owners, some were descendants of people buried at the cemetery. Others had an interest out of respect for the dead and the famous figures that now call Riverside Cemetery their final resting place.
“We’re hoping to move forward,” cemetery board treasurer Debbie Stith said to get the meeting started. “All the income that we have is from CD interests and the checking and savings which a lot of you know don’t make a whole lot of interest at this point.”
Stith reported that income up to Sept. 22 was $4,113.13. Expenses were $8,520.37 and the remaining work budget is $640.79. With a total of eight mowings, four each over the summers of 2010 and 2011, the cemetery spent $6,850.
The last financial report was given in April 2010.
Low funds was the obvious news coming from Stith’s report. Mowings charged at $850 a mow only allow for four mowings a year.
But the purpose of the meeting wasn’t to just go over the finances. A big reasoning behind the meeting was to reconstruct the board.
Peter Danielsons resigned as board president amidst coverage surrounding the cemetery and board members Rodney Brumbaugh and his father, Larry stepped down from their posts. Little did they know that their distance from the governing body of the historic cemetery would be brief.
The cemetery’s bylaws allow lot owners and family members to join the board and at first lot owners inside the dimly lit visitation room were hesitant to get involved. Max Capp, who has relatives buried in Riverside, was the first to express interest in getting involved. At the meeting’s start the Riverside Cemetery Association Board consisted of four people — Stith, Kathy Dugger, Bill Hatton and Ann Nagy, who initially requested that the media be removed from the meeting.
Bylaws require a board of 11 and at least seven to operate as a quorum, but with Danielsons and the Brumbaughs out of the picture, the cemetery board didn’t even have enough to do anything. Something had to be done. Danielsons is very knowledgeable with cemetery records and the Brumbaughs are willing to donate time to cemetery care. That’s when after several discussions, clarifications, displays of support and a venting session over coverage in the Courier-Post over the past month, the board eventually swelled to the 11 members needed.
“There’s a lot that goes into this that the general public does not see,” Jim O’Donnell said.
Add board membership from others; Rose Stark, Susan Henson and Marilyn Bowers, Rodney and Larry Brumbaugh rejoined the board with Danielsons, who was voted by the new members as the president.
“You’ve got to stay involved and you’ve got to help,” Danielsons said as he took over the operations of the meeting. “Now is the time to go forward instead of griping about what went on in the past.”
The meeting later progressed into the cemetery’s appearance. Neil Anderson, a potential bidder on mowing duties, has offered not only to keep the grass at a pleasing level, but has also offered ways to reset fallen markers and headstones. However, the home at the entrance of the cemetery was a discussion almost everyone had a say in.
Andy Hatton, Bill Hatton’s son, was living in the home rent free. In return he kept an eye on the cemetery by doing several rounds and keeping potential vandals out. But now that the house has no one living in it, many of the lot owners want it gone. Trash still lingers around the structure that years ago housed the cemetery’s caretaker. Some suggested tearing the place down, while others supported donating the house to the City of Hannibal to use for fire training.
When all was said and done, the Riverside Cemetery Association Board, which had little interest recently with only a handful of members now not only had a full board, but they had grouped together into separate committees. One committee is going to find ways to raise money for the cemetery and the other is going to advertise and review bids for possibly a better mowing cycle.
Money could also come in from open areas of the cemetery that would allow for burials.
“There are lots that could be sold,” Danielsons said.
Another board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 20 at James O’Donnell Funeral Home.
You can help
Despite the dilapidated house’s appearance at the cemetery’s entrance, Stark wants it to at least look presentable as well as possible. She plans to be at the house Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m., to start collecting the trash around it. Anyone willing or with interest to help is encouraged to come.
Donations to the cemetery are also encouraged to give the board a better financial standing. Donations can be sent to Riverside Cemetery, P.O. Box 332, Hannibal, MO 63401.
