McDONOUGH – Once again, about 45 people gathered in the McDonough Village Union Cemetery to help beautify it for another year. Most were local people, but some came from out of town to help tend the plots of their ancestors, friends and those of people they never knew.
Virtually the whole cemetery was raked of fall leaves and spruce cones and a team of men reset and straightened many of the older stones and markers. Grass seed was planted on many of the bare spots and topsoil was used to fill in some low spots. The lot between the church and cemetery was also brushed out and cleaned up. Additional trash barrels were placed at the entrance and by the new sexton’s shed and a water barrel has been provided for those who cannot bring in their own water for plants.
We hope that all will remember to remove and carry out last years flower pots and urns and not bring any glass containers into the cemetery. We should also refrain from dumping and throwing any debris over the fences.
Everyone took a well-deserved lunch break and enjoyed a hotdog roast, beverages and desserts all donated by various members of the community… and then people went back to work.  The cemetery is now near ready for Memorial Day Services on May 26 and the people who helped in any way have something to be proud of. Community spirit is great!
Following the American Legion’s service on Memorial Day, the cemetery trustees will ask the public to remain in the cemetery for a few minutes. At that time there will be a special dedication and a short historical reading relating the early development of the cemetery. Did you know that the stone wall enclosure just outside the southeast corner used to be a holding pen for farm animals that had escaped their owners?
So, walk behind the parade or drive up the hill and park in the vacant area near where the old shed used to be on May 26 to honor our service men and women and all of the others buried in the McDonough Village Union Cemetery.
– Submitted by Pat Ford and Sue Marchetti