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Parksville cemetery has new board

June 08, 2012|By LINDSAY KRIZ | Staff Writer

PARKSVILLE — The oldest undisputed gravesite on the Parksville Cemetery property is about 200 years old, and since that time, the cemetery has thrived on donations to keep it going.

Not much is known about the cemetery during its first 90 years until 1902, when a group of men came together to form an association that would take care of the property.

The group, Parksville Cemetery Association Inc., kept up with the cemetery for exactly 50 years, until the articles for the corporation ended.

In 1955, a new group came together to re-incoporate the property perpetually. Board members were initially voted upon every April, but the process changed when people simply began to volunteer for the position.

John Feather, the previous chairman, was appointed to the position in 1989, and various boards under him were were in charge of hiring a person to mow and trim the property, and to handle the money the cemetery received through donations, which is how it thrives.

“When the economy took a downturn, so did donations,” Feather said.

This meant that the board had to let go of the person who mowed their land for 40 years and instead contract it out.

“You try to hold on to people as long as you can,” Feather added. “But then it comes to a point where you can’t do it.”

After many years of service on the board, with 21⁄2 acres added and a $20,000 shelter built on the land, Feather knew it was time to step down as chairman and let someone else take his place. Roland Coulter, of Parksville, stepped up as the new chairman.

Lisa Fields returned and has the position of secretary, and Penny McDaniel returned as well.

Rick Westerfield and Debbie Morris, under Feather, stepped down, and Bobby Cash, serving as treasurer, joined the board, along with Jim Underwood, Morris Wilson and Guy Reed.

Coulter is hopeful for the future of the new board, and said the members are ready to improve the cemetery.

“In my time, we’ve done the best we can under the conditions we’ve got,” Coulter said.

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