Cemetery Association Launches Community Facebook Page

By EMILY HILBERT
BURLINGTON FLATS

The Burlington Flats Cemetery Association has a new Facebook group for those in the community interested in joining. The cemetery is regulated by the New York State Division of Cemeteries and the association is a not-for-profit governing body that runs the cemetery in Burlington Flats. The current board members are all local to Burlington Flats. They are: Rick Graham, president; Joy Miller, vice president; Paula Wengert, secretary; and Gene Mayne, treasurer.

The Facebook group was started by ShariLou Baulch McConnell, who also serves as its moderator. Anyone may visit the group online, but those seeking membership must be approved by McConnell before they can join or post.

The aim of the Facebook group, according to McConnell is, first and foremost, to “support the new Burlington Flats Cemetery Board and to ensure our loved ones’ final resting place reflects our love and devotion to their memories.

“More importantly, this group is a place to house the history that defines us,” she added.

The new group page will also be a place to share photos and memories of family members gone by. Historic documents and pictures are highly encouraged and, for McConnell, are “the best part of having this group—it’s a place to house the history that defines us.”

On a more pragmatic level, the Facebook group will help to create an up-to-date list on all cemetery lot owners, which will only be shared with the cemetery board. The group page will also be a central place to share any important information about the cemetery and provide resources for those who may need them. Resources can include, but are not limited to, cemetery prices, decorations, recommendations, and donation information.

McConnell finished by adding, “Whether members grew up in Burlington Flats but moved away after high school or those who stayed to raise the next generation, this group reminds us that our history connects us.”

More information can be found at http://www.facebook.com/groups/burlingtonflatscemetery/.