New Friends of Forest Hill group aids in several cemetery projects

Friday, July 8, 2011
This structure in the Memorial Gardens of the Forest Hill Cemetery is one of several items that the Friends of Forest Hill plan to keep beautiful.

Sadly, residents often tend to overlook some areas of our county. One of those areas, not so surprisingly, happen to be our cemeteries. They conjure up horror stories, and their constant reminders of death normally cause us to keep our distance.

But one gets a different feeling when quietly wandering through Forest Hill Cemetery on Greencastle's south side. The peaceful atmosphere and well-kept grounds make you want to spend an hour meandering through the historic cemetery, which is the final resting place of those such as Revolutionary War veteran Sgt. Nathaniel L. Cunningham and Pearl Bryan, victim of an infamous murder.

The Friends of Forest Hill organization was started in June 2010 in order to acquire outside funding to help support the beautification of the cemetery.

Many projects require finances for which the cemetery budget simply doesn't have room. Some of these projects include the planting of flowers and shrubs for the Memorial Garden beds, the planting of trees and the building of shelters, bridges and other landscaping projects that help enhance the beauty of Forest Hill.

"Since Forest Hill is a city-owned cemetery, we do get some tax dollars," cemetery superintendent Ernie Philips said, "but all we get is enough for the upkeep. We'd like money to beautify and make the cemetery as pleasant for families and visitors as possible."

Anyone is also welcome to arrange for planting a flowerbed or tree in honor of a loved one, or help with the upkeep of an area if interested.

Sue Frazier is president of the Friends of Forest Hill group.

Unfortunately, projects to beautify the cemetery cost money. That being said though, those who wish to help or donate toward the cause of beautifying the cemetery are more than welcome to do so.

If interested, donations can be made through the Putnam County Community Foundation at 2 S. Jackson St., Greencastle, IN 46135, designated to the Friends of Forest Hill Fund. Contributions are tax-deductible through the Community Foundation.

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