Springdale Cemetery to invest in Wall Street, cultivate volunteers

PEORIA -- Springdale Cemetery trustees voted to invest $100,000 in the equities market, in hopes of getting a better return on savings. The trustees of the historic city-owned cemetery met on June 21.

They also heard an impassioned plea to allow volunteers to continue to mow and care for Soldier Hill, a burial place for veterans.  Cemetery manager Jon Austin had stopped allowing them to mow at their preferred time, on Saturday mornings, saying he would have to pay overtime to staff to let the volunteers in and supervise them.

Theo Kenyon, whose relatives are buried at Springdale, made the plea, and it was received sympathetically by the trustees. See the complete statement below.

Austin told them he thought the situation had been resolved by allowing the volunteers to work on a few Saturdays, and otherwise on Fridays. 

But Kenyon said the issue has not been resolved.

The trustees suggested the volunteers be given a key and allowed to work as they have been doing. Many of the volunteers were instrumental in saving the cemetery from ruin under private hands, and have been caring for the veteran area for years.

Some trustees suggested studying the situation to see whether volunteers saved money for the cemetery, even if overtime must be paid to workers. The staff also could be scheduled to work on Saturdays, they said.

The trustees asked Austin to report back for the next meeting. They also added a goal of cultivating volunteers to a list of goals Austin is to work on over the next year.

Former cemetery manager Pat Lewis attended the meeting, and said he agreed with Kenyon "100 percent." Volunteers should be encouraged, he said, as they can help the cemetery manage its deficit.

He also chided the trustees for "lack of transparency," saying he has been trying to get monthly financial data for months, but was told the information is in draft form and could not be released.

The annual audit was received and discussed. Board president Kent Rotherham said a story in the Peoria Journal Star about Springdale misinterpreted the deficit figures, and included depreciation, in calculating it.

Sales dropped by $156,000, likely due to the bad economy, but expenses also were cut, by 13 percent. Still, 72 percent of the total revenue comes from subsidies and contributions.

The district also has $273,000 in pre-need funds, and can use those funds temporarily when it runs out of cash, Rotherham said. "We rob it for operational needs."

The deplorable state of the roads in Springdale makes sales difficult, Austin said, and others agreed the roads are bad. "We need a solution for the roads. They must be presentable then we'll sell more," he said.

The trustees noted that savings in the bank and in a money market fund was earning no interest, and decided to invest in the equities market.  They hope to earn an average of 6 percent yearly.

 -- Elaine Hopkins

 Here are Theo Jean Kenyon's remarks to the Springdale trustees:

When Springdale Cemetery was at its lowest ebb, from successive periods of Bonner Triebel and Larry Leach, it was a dedicated group of volunteers who began the cleanup of Soldier Hill and who have continued to mow it and keep it up. They also tracked down the cannons, and replaced the Union soldier that was stolen from the center mound.

As someone who has grandparents and parents buried at Springfield I am grateful, and I believe your board owes this dedicated group of donors every consideration.

It would seem that is your decision. If the manager must have two employees to open the doors for Saturday, he can certainly schedule two employees for that purpose.  It has caused a disruption for this long dedicated group of faithful donors which is not warranted. 

The letter to me from the Springdaled Foundation Board, which existed before your board to clean up the cemetery, stresses the importance of donors. It is asking for my dues but I do not see your manager showing such an equal concern for its donors. And good donors are hard to find, certainly for mowing, trimming, cleaning up a location  as steep as Soldier Hill. 

I spent a backbreaking day several years ago as part of the army of volunteers amassed  by Allen Andrews to clean up the mess that was then the cemetery and thanks to his vision it was accomplished. 

My husband Leslie Kenyon prepared the application for placing Springdale on the National Register of Historic Sites, and as a reporter for the Journal Star I wrote numerous stories about its historic significance. 

This dedicated group of Soldier Hill donors has been faithful for some 20 years. I think board members owe them a great deal of respect. 

Sincerely,

Theo Jean Kenyon

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Elaine Hopkins]

Ed Dentino writes:

"Former cemetery manager Pat Lewis attended the meeting, and said he agreed with Kenyon "100 percent." Volunteers should be encouraged, he said, as they can help the cemetery manage its deficit."

Not only should volunteers be encouraged, they should be mostly left alone. It should be sufficient to provide volunteers some guidelines and just leave them alone. I have not participated in Springdale maintenance for several years now. Several of the things I accomplished were simply done unobserved, and unnoticed. When I did provide the office with a card listing potential service contributions, it was ignored. It might be from hyper ego control issues - or not. I don't know.

My perception of Pat Lewis priorities was that he was on the mark for goals and achievements and their bearing on the well being of the facility.

That said. I am still not certain that the scale and scope of Springdale is achievable on today's economy. People's personal priorities have changed and like paper print, cemetery traditions are less of an issue with families now. The financial support of this vast facility with unwieldy maintenance issues could be beyond any sustainable measures.