Residents of Clarendon and Murray
asked to consider cemetery needs

The Holley Cemetery Association appeals to all residents for financial assistance and support from your town boards to insure the continued maintenance and preservation of our Hillside Cemetery. The cemetery is run on the income from burial lots, interments, etc. In recent years the expenses for general upkeep have been exceeding the income. There are numerous problems that need to be addressed, such as removal of trees that pose a safety hazard, deteriorating terraces, and similar tasks. There are no funds for these items.

In the past year, the association has appealed to the Clarendon and Murray town boards for financial assistance and any other aid they can give. The Town of Clarendon has helped with manpower and insurance; Ed Morgan and the Village of Holley have helped with equipment and other help. We've appreciated this greatly. Our main problem, however, is financial. We need to be able to pay for things like having the lawn mowed and the mower in working order. Our budget is small; $1,500 a year from the Town of Murray and the Town of Clarendon would keep us going and give us a chance to sometimes get to problems other than lawn mowing. We would appreciate your voicing a word of support to your local representatives as they prepare next year's budget.

In the event the cemetery can not meet its financial responsibilities, our cemetery, like many others, will have to be put on the Clarendon tax rolls. This puts the entire upkeep of the cemetery on the Town of Clarendon. So Town of Murray people might think, well, it's not our problem, but it is. As an independent cemetery, Hillside has been open to anyone who wants to be buried there whether they reside in Holley, Clarendon or Naples, Florida at the same price. If the cemetery reverts to the Town of Clarendon, only residents of Clarendon will be charged the base fees. Residents of Murray or anywhere else will be charged much higher fees.

The members of this association don't want to see this cemetery turned over to the town as a tax burden. Friends, relatives, and loved ones (our history) are buried there. Unlike a lot of cemeteries today, the cemetery has space to service this area for many years to come. Please support our cause. Make your support known to your town board. Make personal donations. Volunteer your group for raking activities, fund raising for tree removal, gravestone replacement (many stones have fallen over and need to be reset on footers), refurbishing the chapel. If we pull together we can keep the cemetery running in a manner that will honor the memories of the people buried there and stand as a reminder of what the people of the past have contributed to our lives today and in the future.

Your held is needed. Donations payable to the Hillside Cemetery can be mailed c/o Ellen Germeo, 26 Van Buren Street, Holley. Organizations willing to help can contact association members: Gary Ahl, Bob Lavender, Ellen Germeo, Clark Knapp, Nancy Smith, Lew Bowen, Nick Quaranto, or Sandy McAllister. Direct any questions you might have to the association president, Gary Ahl (638-6029).

Holley Cemetery Association