Town isn’t interested in overseeing operations

BRUNSWICK

For nearly two centuries, Brunswick families have interred the remains of loved ones at Riverside Cemetery. Who will look after the cemetery in the future, however, appears unknown.

In October 2014, the president of the Riverside Cemetery Association, Scott Walker, paid a visit to Brunswick Town Manager John Eldridge.

Eldridge said Walker delivered all records and maps he had relating to the cemetery, “saying congratulations, this is yours to take care of.”

Walker, Eldridge said, indicated that he no longer wants to oversee the cemetery, and could not find anyone else to do the job, although Walker said he offered the cemetery to local churches.

“The feeling was, ‘I don’t want to do this any more, I can’t find anyone else to do it,’” Eldridge told the town council on Monday.

The town isn’t interested in overseeing the cemetery.

“We do not believe we have an obligation to accept ownership or operation” of Riverside, Eldridge told the council.

Town attorney Stephen Langsdorf wrote to Walker on Feb. 25, informing him that the town “does not have the legal responsi- bility to take over the cemetery.”

The state attorney general’s office has been notified of the situation.

Eldridge said the town will take no further action on the matter, and members of the council didn’t appear inclined to take on, or pay for, the venture.

“Somebody needs to be running this cemetery,” said Eldridge on Monday. “I’m not sure how much of a board of directors they have left.”

Langsdorf said the association doesn’t need a registered agent, nor an annual report listing the association’s officers.

How the association might eventually transfers ownership of the association isn’t clear.

“It’s more than just dropping off the maps and records,” Eldridge said.

Efforts to reach Walker on Tuesday via cellphone were unsuccessful, and his Brunswick phone number was no longer in service.

Eldridge and Langsdorf said Walker has not yet responded to his letter.

In an interview on Tuesday, Eldridge said Walker indicated that he may be leaving for a warmer climate.

“He had plans to not be in Brunswick any more,” said Eldridge.

Located near the busy intersection of River Road and Pleasant Street, Riverside is one of the more visible of Brunswick’s historic cemeteries. According to a 2006 history of the cemetery compiled by Donald and Mark Cheetham, the earliest stone in the cemetery dates to 1828. There were 1,862 stones at the time the Cheethams’ history was published.

Town Councilor Kathy Wilson had planned on having a marker there at her family plot after she dies.

“My parents are there. My grandparents are there. I was hoping to go there,” said Wilson in an interview on Tuesday.

Though her family has a plot, Wilson said that she was not contacted by the association regarding any changes pertaining to who runs the cemetery.

Despite her personal connection, Wilson said that “this is not a time for the town to take on the expense of someone to run it.”

Wilson noted that people are still being buried at the cemetery, which has about two rows available.

“The problem is, there are a lot of people who don’t know where the lots are, and how to get one,” said Wilson. “All we heard was that the person in charge dropped all the papers off at town and said goodbye.

“Somehow, it’s got to work out,” Wilson added. “Whoever is on the board of directors or association, they’ve aged out and nobody has stepped in.”

Gary Starzynski, funeral director at Stetson’s Funeral Home, said he knows of at least three interments planned for Riverside in the spring.

No one from the Riverside association has contacted Stetson’s, said Starzynski, however, the burials should go as planned because the grave digger is employed by the funeral home.

However, maintenance of the cemetery may go by the wayside if no one is in charge.

“Whoever mows the lawn, cleans up, rakes — that probably won’t get done,” Starzynski said. “The record keeping and selling of lots — that would be another question.”

Brackett Funeral Home performs a number of burials at Riverside every year, said funeral director Christopher Ladner, but no one from Riverside contacted him to announce any change in ownership.

However, Ladner noted that there wouldn’t be a reason for Riverside’s association to connect with funeral homes during this time of year, because burials aren’t performed at the cemetery during wintry conditions.

“The terrible and great thing about living here is all these small cemeteries are done with associations,” said Ladner. “Most cemeteries have someone to get in contact with. Not being able to get ahold of anyone at any given time makes it more difficult for us, but it all seems to work out. We’ll make it work. That’s what we get paid to do.

“You can have as many weddings as you want,” Ladner added, “but you only get one funeral.”

jswinconeck@timesrecord.com