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SOME OF THE VOLUNTARY WORK TAKING  PLACE

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What Volunteer BOARD MEMBERS DO to keep Burlington Cemetery operating efficiently and with less expenses:

The members  attend board meetings; email back and forth on issues; sell spaces; handle the receipts and disbursements and preparation of financial records; handle calls and emails from persons with questions; update maps; update the long  list of burials and spaces available (7193 to date); do research into historical items; create and update occasionally the Web page; pick up road debris if they are driving through the cemetery; handle burials with funeral homes and relatives of the deceased;  keep a Veteran’s list for burials in the cemetery up to date; put some monuments up on Find A Grave; help plant trees; clean moss, algae and other stuff off monuments;  determine road work needs and make it happen; work with surveyors to set up new lots and spaces; coordinate  things with organizations wanting to participate in keeping the cemetery looking special; help people find out where their relatives are buried and how to get to the grave site; keep the two information boards (located at the main entrance and the last entrance}  updated periodically; deal with City, Town and State representatives when the need requires; help in doing  genealogy research into the persons buried there for  persons inquiring.

 Probable total hours for all this mostly volunteer work cannot even begin to be estimated accurately, but listing the people involved and estimating what time they put in results in about 750 hours. That does not count the time organizations that help out put in with their volunteers. There also is no way of knowing the time put in by City and Town employees cutting grass, trimming around monuments, plowing roads, dealing with water line issues, and removing trees that they are able to remove. It will be nice if the Burlington Cemetery can continue to be kept looking as nice as Saint Mary’s or Saint Charles Cemeteries. That would say something about the City and Town of Burlington and the people that live there.

 If we as a Board would abandon the cemetery, the State of Wisconsin Statutes say the City takes it over. Not sure how that works with part of the cemetery land in the City and part of the land in the Township but the Statute says City.  If that happens they cannot just cut grass and plow roads. At that time a great share of the above listed volunteer time would still have to be done, especially handling burials for people who bought burial spaces already.  So, as long as the volunteers are willing and able, and replacements come forth, it would be great if they could continue to operate as they have been with the coordinated effort of the Burlington Cemetery Board, the City of Burlington and the Town of Burlington and all the other volunteers.

 By the way, the Sexton gets paid for some of his time but puts in a lot more than a normal Sexton would do, and without pay.  And his business, Jim’s Lawn and Landscape, is used sometimes without being reimbursed. The financial record keeping also gets paid but it has been only $ 150 a month and the actual billing for that time would have been substantially higher. The persons handling record keeping get paid more for their time by their employer than the receipt every month. 

ORGANIZATIONS GIVING AID:

The main entrance and the civil war monument have been beautifully adorned with flowers for as long as I can remember, and at this point the Burlington Garden Club has been handling that with much success. Other organizations doing something for the cemetery have been:  The Burlington High School Girls Tennis Team, Thrivent (Shoreline Group), BHS Girls Soccer Team, Rotary, Local Veteran Groups, and Burlington Historical Society.  We also keep a record of veterans in the cemetery. A Veteran’s group in Racine donates annually a certain dollar per veteran and spouse to our organization.

TO DO:

Finish Evergreen road, redo the last road into the cemetery when going northeast on W, and also the circle named Serenity Circle. Survey part of the area to the east of the cemetery Block 17 and set it up for burial space use and for needed roads. Determine whether to do green burial areas, and/or a cremation columbarium.  Put up signs for the main roads, but that is included in the currently proposed contract with the CITY and TOWN.  Clean off very old monuments of algae and moss, etc, where no family is currently around to keep the monuments cleaned off so they are easy to read and visibly better looking. Dig up monuments that have become buried and reposition them so they can be easily read. Update the Web page.

DONATIONS:

The website at burlingtoncemeterywi.com has a list of donations for the year 2021 and some in 2022. So far to date we have received $185,600.22 in 2021-2023. However, a good deal of that was directed to be used for restoration of the Chapel, and also for road reconstruction.  That does not include the financial aid from the City and Town related to road construction, which has been over the last 6 years   $43.346.68, breaking down as $23,673.34 from the City and $19,673.34 from the Town.  Total overall cost so far for road reconstruction has been $151,201.01. The major contributors for roads, the Chapel and other smaller items, were the Wagner Foundation, Rotary, Burlington Community Fund, Burlington Woman’s Club, the Everett Family, the Vorpagel Family, the Historical Library Group running Whispers, the Stan and Nan Wilson Family, BW Surveying, Bob Riggs Construction, Inc.,  and about 25 other individuals. If you drive out there you will see that the roads have been substantially improved. The only other road issue is on the bottom end of the first road into the cemetery, Evergreen Road.  It is done down past the Chapel but will need to be finished. A water runoff issue has stalled the project, but  $30,000 is set aside as the probable cost to finish and deal with the water issue. And see below related to Serenity Circle.

 If you are ever able to attend a gathering at the Chapel, once it starts renting out or otherwise being used, you will see how it has been improved inside. You can see the exterior improvement now. New roof to replace a leaking roof and new cement walkways. Plus a cleaned up building exterior as good as it could be done. By the way the chapel normally is open the day of the Whispers from the Past Walk and maybe will be open this year on October 8.  See the cemetery website for info, or check their info on the Library site:  burlingtonhistory.org.   Paul B.  Edwards  

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              WHISPERS 2021 & 2022

          Click on black circle in middle of screen & sound note at bottom right. 

              WHISPERS 2021 & 2022 Continued
 

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MUSIC TO LISTEN
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  Proceeds will be used to improve the inside of the chapel. 

 Lt. Robert Zimmerman- Matt Bieneman

 Louis Zimmerman- Bob O'Neill 

 Edwin Ruthven Smith- Dan Meadaugh

 Ross Wilcox- James Howe    Mrs Caroline Wilcox (Carrie)-Tara Petrozelli

   Florence Patterson- Stephanie Rummler 

2022 STORIES IN STONE 10/9/2022

NOW ACCOMPLISHED-SEE BELOW

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THE CEMETERIES WATCH OVER ANGEL

BURIAL LOCATIONS
BURIAL LOCATIONS

Double click the X,

then click the bar at bottom left and when excel worksheet comes up, hit on home and then over to find and hit on it. In box that comes up put in last name.  May have to do this more than once if a name was used in the first name column. Top row has been frozen so may have to hit on spaces below to find person you are looking for. If you pull up the excel sheet you can save it on your computer and then make changes. Let us know what needs to be added or changed. 262-763-7616 

YOU SHOULD SEE THE FOLLOWING TYPE ITEMS:

LAST NAME and FIRST NAME

BLOCK

LOT

SPACE

DATE OF PURCHASE

FULL BURIAL DATE

CREMAINS 1 BURIAL DATE

CREMAINS 2 BURIAL DATE

VETERANS:

WAR AND BRANCH OF SERVICE ALSO

GENEALOGY :

COLUMNS WITH FAMILY INFORMATION

There are more excel worksheets related to VETERANS, THE OLD CEMETERY AND GENEALOGY. Go to the page button with each of those and follow the same instructions as on this page under the GREEN X. 

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GENEALOGY AND OUR CONTINUING RECORD

Double click the X,

then click the bar at bottom left and when excel worksheet comes up, hit on home and then over to find and hit on it. In box that comes up put in last name.  May have to do this more than once if a name was used in the first name column. Top row has been frozen so may have to hit on spaces below to find person you are looking for. If you pull up the excel sheet you can save it on your computer and then make changes. Let us know what needs to be added or changed. 262-763-7616 

There are more excel worksheets related to VETERANS, AND THE OLD CEMETERY . Go to the page button with each of those and follow the same instructions as on this page under the GREEN X. 

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The City and Town personnel  updated an agreement the Cemetery Board had with them in 2015. Various items in the update were not 100% agreeable with the Cemetery Board Members. We have revised the Contract presented and are now awaiting a meeting to discuss the revision with City and Town representatives. Part of our revision has to do with working with approvals of the City Council and Town Board for certain items as opposed to dealing only with personnel.  Our revisions follows.  It may change after the needed meeting.

FOR FUTURE USE

WHISPERS       2023

           BURLINGTON'S EARLY INFLUENCERS

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PLINY M. PERKINS

DR. EDWARD G. DYER 

NETTIE KARCHER

EDA MEINHARDT

ELIAS NELSON
        WHITE

Eda Meinhardt was Burlington Cemetery Treasurer from 1911-1943, then Albert Meinhardt took over and then Harold Koch. All dealing with Meinhardt Bank. Until 1974

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NAME OF EARLY INFLUENCER  / NAME OF ACTOR  /  NAME-POETRY READER

PLINY MERRICK PERKINS             JAMES  HOWE              MICHAEL STAEGER

EDA MEINHARDT                             TARA PETROZELLI      MARY ANN HOFF 

DR EDWARD G.  DYER                      JEFF LETTOW             DAN CHRISTENSEN

NETTIE KATCHER                             ANNIE PHILLIPS        ELIZABETH PARK

                                                                                                       "She wrote all the poems"

ELIAS NELSON WHITE                    DANIEL GILL               JOHN BISER

Tara Petrozelli, Actor
and Deb Everett who grew up in the Meinhardt house on Kane Street. The house is museum worthy and is a nice house with neat grounds. 

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THE ACTORS (4 of 5)  As one had to leave before picture taken.  --->

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The one that had to leave
 

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THE PLINY PERKINS FIRST GROUP VISIT

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DR. DYER GROUP VISIT

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MEINHARDT MONUMENT

DR DYER MONUMENT

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In chair-John Biser-poetry reader

WHILE ON THE WALK

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ELIAS WHITE MONUMENT-ANNA MARY, GRACE & CHARLES
 

KARCHER MAIN MONUMENT

INSIDE THE MAUS0LEUM-4 SPACES
 

THE CEMETERIES WATCH OVER ANGEL

Pictures by Michelle Blink, Ann and Paul Edwards

This is a picture of part of block 16 and 17-the newest blocks in the cemetery
 

CAPS TITLE

BEV  G.                             DREW  S.                                        JIM  S.                                                   PAUL E.

TO ADD: Michelle B.,  Kim B., Bill M., Bob K., Ann B., Ross E., Bill S.,      in the future

SEE ABOVE FOR PICTURES OF CONTACTS AT WORK OR PLAY

                                                       BURLINGTON CEMETERY ASSOCIATION, INC 

                                                                                      INFORMATION

   When preparing for a burial a funeral home, of your choice, will be your first contact. For other situations you may have to contact 262-763-7616, Michelle Blink, or Paul B. Edwards CPA.

   If you have questions related to observing spaces available for burials you should contact the Sexton, Jim Schaal.

   PRESIDENT:                                      Bev Gill, 262-539-2144  gilgordy@gmail.com

   SEXTON:                                             James Schaal  262-210-3577  jimschaal58@gmail.com

   VICE PRESIDENT                             Michelle Blink  262-763-7616 for burial arrangements                                                      

   SECRETARY                                        Kimberly Blink  Town Bank

   TREASURER /WEBPAGE                Paul B. Edwards CPA    paul@edwardsgroupcpas.com

                                                                 262-763-7616     

   Edwards Group CPAs. S.C. keeps the records of burials and updates them as information becomes available.

   Michelle Blink,  Paul B. Edwards CPA are primarily involved in these procedures, along with help 

   from Jim Schaal, Kim Blink, and  a lot of help from Donald Vande Sand when he was still alive. 

    Most of those records are now available using the Items in boxes with the --      LARGE X.

   The business address the BCA uses is Burlington Cemetery Association, Inc. 441 Milwaukee Avenue 

   Burlington, Wi.  53105                                                  

                         

                               BOARD MEMBERS                                                              

    BEV GILL

    KIMBERLY BLINK

    JIM SCHAAL

    BILL MILATZ

    DREW STOREY

    BOB KOENECKE

    MICHELLE BLINK

    ANN BEARDSLEY

    PAUL B. EDWARDS CPA

    RUSS EGAN  Town Representative

    BILL SMITZ              City Aldermanic Representative

                                                          OTHER DATA

THE NOTICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF ALL SPACE OWNERS OR OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES,  MUST BE PUBLISHED PRIOR TO THE MEETING DATE.  THE MEETING TYPICALLY  IS HELD IN JANUARY. 

THE # OF BLOCKS PRESENTLY PLATTED AND AVAILABLE  ARE 17.  (Some of Block 17 has not been fully platted        as yet and could become Block 18.)

THE # OF LOTS IN EACH BLOCK VARIES.

THE # OF SPACES IN EACH LOT VARIES BUT NORMALLY 5 IN EACH LOT-LATEST SPACES ARE 4 FOOT WIDE    BY 12 FOOT LONG(WEST TO EAST).

BABIES ARE PRIMARILY BURIED IN BLOCK #16, UNLESS PARENTS HAVE OR WILL BE BUYING SPACES              ELSEWHERE.

RECORD-KEEPING: ALL LOTS SOLD SHOULD HAVE THE BLOCK #, LOT # , SPACE # & DESCRIPTION, AND        DATE SOLD. THERE MAY BE BURIAL INFORMATION IF AVAILABLE INCLUDING IF POSSIBLE DECISIONS       ON FULL BURIALS VERSUS CREMAINS BURIALS.  BURIAL SITE DESCRIPTIONS ARE SPACE 1, 2, 3, 4, AND       5.  FOR DEEDS THE SPACES ARE IDENTIFIED ALSO USING THE NORTH LINE AS THE STARTING LINE.           THERE IS A SEPARATE CHARTING FOR THE LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS.  EXAMPLE:  IF 3 SPACES ARE                   PURCHASED STARTING WITH 1 THEN THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION WOULD BE THE NORTH 12 AS EACH            SPACE IS 4 FEET WIDE.  IF SPACES 3, 4 AND 5 WERE PURCHASED THEN THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION WOULD BE SOUTH 12 BELOW THE NORTH 8.

EACH SPACE CAN HAVE ONE FULL BURIAL, AND ONE CREMAINS BURIAL AT THE FOOT OF THE FULL           BURIAL OR ON TOP OF THE FULL BURIAL. THE SPACE CAN ALSO BE USED FOR TWO CREMAINS BURIALS. 

EACH STANDARD LOT SHOULD HAVE 5 SPACES.  EACH SPACE NORMALLY BEING 4 FT BY 12 FT WITH 2 FT    OF THE 12 FOOT FOR HEADSTONE.  HEADSTONES SHOULD BE PLACED AT THE WEST END OF THE SPACE  FACING EAST.  BURIALS ARE NORMALLY WEST TO EAST.  SOME LOTS IN THE OLDER PART OF THE                CEMETERY ARE FACING DIFFERENTLY.

MINIMUM VAULT SIZE IS 33 ½” WIDE BY 92” IN LENGTH.  MAXIMUM EXTERIOR VAULT SIZE NOT TO              EXCEED 40" WIDE BY 96" IN LENGTH.

LOT SALES:   OUR CURRENT SALES PERSON WILL PROVIDE THE LOT  COST AND BUYER'S INFORMATION.  THE TREASURER WILL SEND AN INVOICE TO THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER.  AFTER PAYMENT IS RECEIVED    THE TREASURER WILL MARK THE INVOICE AS PAID.  THEN A DEED AND PERPETUAL CARE AGREEMENT  WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE BUYER.  (SEE RULES BELOW FOR PERPETUAL CARE DEFINITION WHICH        DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MONUMENTS)  THE FUNERAL HOME WILL PROVIDE EITHER THE BURIAL              DISPOSITION PERMIT OR CREMAINS PERMIT.

   

IN ORDER FOR A BURIAL TO TAKE PLACE THE HOLE MUST BE PREPARED, THEN REFILLED,                            GRADED ADDING NEW DIRT, AND FINALLY  SEEDED. THEN EACH SPACE HAS TO BE MAINTAINED ALONG  WITH ROADS, BUILDINGS, TREES, SIGNS, SITE CLEAN UP, AND FENCES. COST RECOVERY FOR THIS               IS FROM VARIOUS CHARGES AS IDENTIFIED IN THE PRICE LIST INCLUDED IN THIS WEB SITE AND ON       INFORMATION BOARDS TO THE TWO MAIN ENTRANCES TO THE CEMETERY. DONATIONS ARE                        WELCOMED AND GO TO MAINTENANCE CARE FUNDS TO EARN INCOME WHICH IS THEN USED FOR              CONTINUING MAINTENANCE. THE DONATION CAN ALSO BE FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IF ACCEPTED          BY THE CURRENT BOARD.  INCOME EARNED IN THE PERPETUAL CARE FUND IS                                                  TRANSFERRED TO THE MAINTENANCE FUND PERIODICALLY.

DISBURSEMENTS:   THE TREASURER MUST APPROVE ALL NORMAL DISBURSEMENTS, WITH MAJOR              DISBURSEMENTS APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. AND  CITY  AND TOWN  PERSONNEL FOR SOME LARGER EXPENDITURES ALTHOUGHT THAT  IS CURRENTLY BEING DISCUSSED. 

RECORD KEEPING FEES:    FEES CHARGED FOR RECORD KEEPING ARE INVOICED AND PAID                          FROM MAINTENANCE FUND MONTHLY .  FEE IS PRIMARILY FOR BOOKKEEPING, FINANCIAL                          STATEMENTS AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE CEMETERY OPERATION.  THERE IS A              GREAT DEAL OF VOLUNTEER WORK DONE BY PERSONS LISTED AS PART OF THE DIRECTORS, PLUS TONI    ROWNTREE, AND ALSO DONALD VANDE SAND WHO DID SO MUCH OF THE WORK PRIOR TO HIS DEATH ON JANUARY  17, 2022 REPRESENTING THE  BURLINGTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 

THE CEMETERIES WATCH OVER ANGEL

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He stopped loving her 

THE CEMETERIES WATCH OVER ANGEL

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Anchor ROAD LIST

Part of Serenity Circle off Vorpagel Way

       COSTS

                                                                          Burlington Cemetery Association, Inc

 

                                                                                        PRICE LIST

 

                                                                                       EFF 12/01/2022

 SPACE SALES -                                 $ 800.00 per space (Normally 5 spaces in each Lot)

            Allocated as:                               Space -                            $ 680.00

                                                                Perpetual Care -             $ 120.00 only the income earned can be used for normal cemetery maintenance and other costs. 

INFANT SPACE SALES IN BLOCK 16 - $ 100.00 –this applies to single interments in a smaller space (2’ by 2 1.2’), solely in       the infant section of Block 16. There can only be an in ground monument at the west end of space. See MONUMENT RULES         in the Rules and Regulations Listing.

   

FULL BURIAL PERMITS - $ 850.00

           

CREMAINS BURIAL PERMITS - $ 650.00

            Charge is per burial regardless of location e.g. two cremains in one space.

CREMAINS INSIDE A MONUMENT OR CASKET - $250.00

            Limit of one full and one cremains OR two cremains per space still apply

            If cremains inside a casket, this fee is in addition to the full burial fee.

INFANT BURIAL (FULL or CREMAINS) PERMITS - $ 250.00

            Only applies to infants buried in the Block 16 infant section

WEEKEND BURIAL CHARGES

    Saturday burial - $ 200.00 extra

    Sunday burial - $ 300.00 extra

WINTER BURIAL CHARGE - $ 200.00 extra

            For all burials between Nov 1st to March 31st... This fee could be higher 

            depending on the amount of snow to remove and/or frost conditions which

            are both related to day of burial and type of burial. 

QUIT CLAIM DEEDS - Transfer from BCA to person(s) $ 100.00