Questions arose during Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents’ Thursday meeting whether they needed a vote to include an underground co-mingling cremains vault at the cemetery and if a quorum was needed to do so.
During February’s meeting, sexton Hal Heagy said a family would like to have an underground co-mingling cremains vault at the cemetery. He described it as a full-sized vault on a lot with tubes. It’s going to be ash funerals, and they want to dump their ashes in this vault.
The Board tabled a vote in February until more members were present.
During Thursday’s meeting, Board President Art Brown and member Chris Plack were not in attendance.
Heagy said he spoke with Plack over the phone about the vault and Plack was fine with the idea. During February’s meeting, Brown and Board member Ellen Hoffer said they were fine with the vault. Board member Max Mock said Thursday he was fine with the vault.
Heagy said he didn’t know if the issue needed to come to a vote, noting “nothing says we have to.” Heagy said he just wants the Board to be in agreement.
Hoffer said she thinks the Board still should vote on it to have it in the records. Heagy asked if everyone should be present for that, and Hoffer stated she didn’t know.
Mock motioned to approve the vault and Hoffer seconded it. Heagy said he thought it was all set, but said he would check with Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer to double check. If the Board has to vote again on the vault, they will do it again at April’s meeting.
In other business, Heagy updated the Board on the wood giveaway the cemetery offers.
The cemetery gave away five loads of wood in February. Heagy said this year was not a big year for the giveaway as the cemetery still has a ton of wood left. He said he still has a few people coming to get the wood and will be offering the giveaway for a while.
The wood was given away to those who need it. People are able to get vouchers from Combined Community Services for the wood. The cemetery gives a truckload of wood a month to heat their homes.
Heagy said he still plans on doing the giveaway in the future as it’s a good program.
“As long as the supply’s there and we have a little demand, I’d like to do it,” Heagy said.
In other business, the Board learned surveyors were out and pinned the new road on the east side of the cemetery at every 100 feet. When the weather breaks, Heagy said markers will be put in to get closer to opening up that section of the cemetery.
The engineering process for the road started in 2019.
