Members of the Bowden and District Cemetery Association (BDCA) are already full of ideas for how to improve the cemetery next year after receiving lots of help to make improvements this year.
In late August, at the request of the association, about half a dozen Bowden Institution inmates came out to the cemetery. They cleaned deadwood out of the brush and helped clean tombstones with the help of Town of Bowden employees. Dying trees were also removed.
They also put in new chips and borders around trees in the cemetery's memorial garden. A sign was relocated, and holes were pre-drilled for two more extensions to the railing on either side of the entrance to the cemetery.
BDCA chair Shirley Adams says in the future, the committee would like to add two more panels to each side of the railing at the entrance.
"Eventually we'll have a sign on; we've really toyed about that. But money is very tight," she says.
"We eventually want to put a map out in front. Well, we were talking about that ñ maybe a little roofy thing you know, with a map on it, like a lot of cemeteries have. So that is a future thought."
BDCA secretary Sandy Gamble, a town councillor, says another idea is to create a columbarium where people could place cremated remains of loved ones. However, the cost of that is a concern.
Adams agrees.
"It is fairly expensive. It would have to be certainly purchaser-supported, too," she says.
The committee is very pleased with the help they received from the inmates.
The work was done over about a week.
"They're so enthusiastic, respectful, polite," Shirley says. "They're great and they just tackle whatever job there is."
"They even brought their arborist out because we had some trees. We were wondering if they could be saved. She's a sweetheart. She said, ëwell, you're right; dig those out,'" town council rep Wayne Milaney says.
Adams is grateful for the support the committee receives from the Town of Bowden, Red Deer County and Bowden Institution.
The current members of the BDCA have been together for at least five years.
"For a cemetery board we do have a lot of fun," Adams says, sparking laughter among fellow committee members.
"It's our job ñ somebody's job ñ to try and keep the cemetery looking good," she adds.
"For a cemetery board we do have a lot of fun."SHIRLEY ADAMS CHAIR BOWDEN AND DISTRICT CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
