To the Editor,
Were you ever on the receiving end of a good deed that was totally unexpected and be at a loss for the right words to express just how appreciative you really are? The staff and board of directors at Elmwood Cemetery felt that way on Nov. 12, and we still do.
Each spring Elmwood Cemetery generally has some monuments down due to frost action over the winter, but this year was exceptional. We had more than usual down, about 150, some due to winter frost, but in addition to those, we had a large number down due solely to vandalism.
This year Superintendent Glen Beaulieu started a remedial program on monuments that had fallen over due to frost. Rather than just resetting the monument and have it possibly fall over again next spring, he took corrective action, digging the old foundations out and resetting the monument so that hopefully they will never fall again. His task was complicated by the large number of monuments downed by vandalism. When monitoring the grounds he noticed the same ones knocked over again. With the demand of regular work also needing attention, it was just too much for him to fully complete the mammoth task this year. We commend Glen and his hardworking staff for their excellent efforts.
On Nov. 12, Nelson Monuments, a company having many years association with Elmwood, came to our rescue. They recognized the problem we were having with downed monuments and took action. Nelson’s made a generous donation of their staff’s time and equipment to assist the Elmwood Cemetery staff. Their crane truck with its 40-foot reach was a wonder to watch, and within five minutes of watching their two experienced crew resetting monuments, it was clear these men did not waste time; it was a sort of poetry in motion.
On behalf of the Elmwood Cemetery board, we express our sincerest gratitude to Nelson Monuments for their generosity.
Merle Carson,
Board Member and Secretary,
Elmwood Cemetery Company,
Moncton
