Staff Writer
Officials with the Maine Veterans Cemetery in Caribou have been raising money for the past two years to install additional cremation niches at the cemetery on the Lombard Road.
Contributed photo
The chairman of the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery Corp., Harry Hafford, left, receives a check for $1,343 from Lori Burbe, membership chairman of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry last week. The funds, to be used for new cremation niches at the Maine Veterans Cemetery, were presented on behalf of the Aroostook Association of Chambers of Commerce and were the proceeds from a coffee fund-raiser held Nov. 9.
Earlier this month, the Aroostook Association of Chambers of Commerce helped cemetery officials with raising a portion of the $137,000 to install 216 additional niches. During a presentation last week, the chambers gave the cemetery association $1,343 toward the project.
When the cemetery was constructed a total of 180 niches were installed as part of the project. However, most of those spaces are in use, according to Harry Hafford, chairman of the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery Association.
The money was raised through a countywide campaign where participating establishments donated funds from the coffee served from 7 to 9 a.m. on Nov. 9.
Hafford said that more veterans are choosing to be cremated rather that buried since the former is less expensive. Cremation costs about one-third of the cost of a burial, he explained.
In addition, a cremation saves the emotion toll of conducting an interment service in the summer if the death occurs during the winter months, Hafford said.
Elderly spouses living away also find it harder to travel to visit their loved ones graves, Hafford said.
The Caribou cemetery is for all veterans and spouses who have an honorable discharged from the armed services.
Hafford said that the organization will continue to raise money until the goal is met. He said the additional niches are scheduled to be installed and dedicated during the 2008 Memorial Day observances.
Hafford said he would like to see the fund-raising effort become an annual event. He thanks all the establishments that participated in the activity.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
Derik Smith of Presque Isle, pictured at left, was the lucky winner of a patriotic quilt raffled off earlier this year to benefit the Caribou Veterans’ Cemetery’s columbarium wall project. The quilt was made by Tammy Ritchie, of Houlton, with ticket sales raising $4,036 for the planned construction of walls that will be used to keep the cremated remains of local veterans. Harry Hafford, a member of the cemetery’s Board of Directors, pictured at right, expressed thanks to all who purchased tickets to help make the fund-raiser a success. Hafford said efforts are continuing to raise the money necessary to begin construction on the additional wall units at the cemetery, with work expected to begin at the site by spring.
