June 6, 2023 |
Photo – Elk Mountain Cemetery – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Elk Mountain Cemetery Board is working to fix decades old clerical errors on where people are buried. The board also wants to expand the graveyard.
Back in March, Bigfoot99 reported on Elk Mountain Cemetery Board Commissioner Brett Larson’s efforts to survey and organize the town’s graveyard. In the interview, Larson said the town was working off a map of the cemetery made in the 1960’s. He said duplicate maps were made, each with their own alterations.
Decades of poor record-keeping have meant that some people aren’t buried where the maps say they are. Some unmarked graves are not listed on the plans at all, meaning the town has no way of knowing who is buried in the plot. Other sites were sold multiple times or listed with the incorrect family name.
In March, the Elk Mountain Cemetery Board hired Dave Hammond, of Hammond Land Survey in Laramie, to perform a detailed review of the cemetery. When finished, Hammond’s survey will give the town a more accurate idea of who is buried where in the graveyard. The survey will also allow the cemetery to plan for expansion.
The winter snows have finally receded, and Hammond was able to physically survey the site recently. During last Thursday’s Elk Mountain Cemetery Board meeting, Hammond said he found the original cemetery boundary markers where they should be.
The cemetery is shaped like a triangle with the western edge cut off where it intersects with state land. The town can expand the graveyard eastward, but would need to extend the existing dirt roads into the new section. Hammond told the Cemetery Board members that roads wouldn’t need to be constructed right away. Having his accurate map would allow the town to make additions in the future.
Hammond asked the board members how they wanted the added space on the southeast corner of the cemetery to be used. Larson said they should create more burial plots in the area. Cemetery Board member Craig Jones agreed, saying they should increase the number of places for cremated remains, as well.
When the meeting was finished, Hammond and the Cemetery Board members agreed on the scope of the work. Hammond would survey all the existing graves and compare his findings with the original maps. He will also mark out additional grave sites in the unused southeast corner of the cemetery.
Hammond isn’t working for free. During the meeting, the surveyor said he needed the board’s blessing of his plan before providing a cost estimate. Hammond told Larson that he would determine his fee before the June 12th town council meeting.
Larson must ask the council to approve Hammond’s rate estimate before more work can be done. Larson said the Cemetery Board’s $12,000 budget should more than enough to cover Hammond’s fee.
