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This year’s historic walk at Oakwood Cemetery has been set for 1 to 4 p.m. June 27.
The last walk was in 2024 and was tentatively planned for every other year.
This year, sexton Hal Heagy said military personnel will be portrayed during the walk.
He estimated there are over 4,000 veterans buried at the cemetery, so he said not all of those people could be portrayed during this year’s walk.
Heagy did talk about ways the cemetery wanted to honor the veterans who could not be portrayed during the walk.
“I want to build a memorial wall that’ll be in the chapel where (people) can bring their loved one’s names and stick it on,” Heagy said, adding he wanted to make the wall portable. He said he wanted to give people a chance to honor all their loved ones.
“We take great pride in helping out our military at our cemetery ...,” Heagy said.
The names of the people who are being portrayed will be released at a later date.
Earlier in the meeting, Heagy told the board Tom Kinch’s property, which is adjacent to the cemetery, was replatted.
In previous meetings, Heagy has told the board the cemetery was interested in purchasing part of Kinch’s property. Heagy spoke with Kinch about what parts of the property Kinch wanted to keep, which included the house and part of the pond.
In order to move forward with any possible purchase, the platting had be fixed as the property was platted to where the city owned part of Kinch’s garage and his driveway.
Thursday, Heagy said he spoke with Kinch about the intentions with the property purchase. Heagy said if Kinch says no to the purchase, Heagy said that’s the answer he will take. Heagy told Kinch to talk to family or any one he wants to about the decision.
Heagy will have a survey done to get the property appraised to help make an offer to Kinch. The city would have to approve the purchase as well.
He has talked to people like Dr. Nate Bosch, Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams, and would like to get the pond on the property cleaned up. However, Heagy said the cemetery is going keep most of the property as it is.
In other business, the board heard:
• There will be a Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery May 25.
• The cemetery is getting ready to put two roads in the Parsons Farm area of the cemetery. Heagy said the street department is going to help dig out the roads.
The work is preventative and Heagy said the cemetery still has plenty of lots available.
• The cemetery’s east fence is being cleaned up.
• There are plans to possibly replace the chain-link fence along the lake road with a split rail fence. Cost is estimated at approximately $15,000.
• Cemetery groundskeepers have landscaped the Warsaw Police Department property.
• A block wall around the evergreen trees in front of the cemetery shop is being built.
• Putting another columbarium in the northwest area of the cemetery is in the planning phase.
