A grave situation

By Claudia Wysocki
MONROE — The Monroe Community Cemetery, the final resting place for many residents tucked alongside local retailers on Route 17M, is now abandoned.

The country cemetery, which dates back to the 1700's, does not have any more suitable space on this 6.3 acre site for more graves.

The cemetery is described "rundown."

Without sales, no money is being generated to maintain the site that holds approximately 390 plots.

Perpetual care funds, which are part of the funeral arrangements and set aside to maintain the cemetery which includes mowing and plowing snow, do exist. However, only the interest part of the funds can be touched, which is now basically zero.

Voluntary maintenance
Under cemetery law, if a cemetery is abandoned, any municipality is empowered to establish a voluntary cemetery maintenance and cleanup program. According to state law, the Town of Monroe will have to take over the cemetery and its responsibility.

The maintenance and financial procedures will have to be worked out by the town board.

The help of volunteers
To the cemetery's president Thomas Sullivan, the Monroe Community Cemetery is not truly abandoned.

"Monroe," he said, "is still considered a small town by most residents and it proves it after the way many have stepped forward to help their community cemetery."

There are so many residents who have volunteered to clean up the cemetery, from Bruce Mapes of Monroe Rentals, and numerous landscapers who have brought their equipment in to help out, Sullivan said.

Roscoe Smith, whose family founded Orange & Rockland Utilities Inc., bought the cemetery in 1962 and donated it to the Monroe community.

Taking over a community cemetery is not a unusual undertaking. Many communities have done so including the town of Highland Falls who maintains its cemetery's premises.

Other Monroe cemeteries are either privately owned or owned by a church.