Memorial Day Weekend at the Deep Creek Cemetery
Author: John Hahn
Memorial Day Weekend at the Deep Creek Cemetery
John Hahn
With Memorial Day weekend coming up, the cemetery board would like to update you on all the new improvements we have been working on and hope that you appreciate our efforts.
Most of the residents are familiar with the Deep Creek Cemetery but some of you may not know some of the history. Our oldest sections are A & E. The oldest grave is a baby born and buried in 1871 on land that was donated to the cemetery by the Shelleys. Then there is the Titman addition to the south and then the Prosser addition to the east. The whole cemetery is 13 acres with 9 acres currently being used and the 4 acres to the east are currently undeveloped other than 11 pauper or county burials located there on the north end. As of today, we have over 2040 burials in the cemetery. The cemetery became a 501 c (13) nonprofit in 1965 which means any donations to the cemetery are tax deductible.
As you browse through our records, either in the Directory located on the south side of the caretaker building or in our new website, you will notice the plot numbering system may seem strange as the numbers are set up similar to how a township’s sections are numbered, left to right, down, and then right to left and then repeating itself through the rest of the sections. The Deep Creek Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Broadwater County but definitely not the only one.
As we are a perpetual care cemetery, we strive very hard to keep your cemetery looking as green and well-kept as possible. Craig Vietz, our Caretaker, spends countless hours irrigating, mowing, weed eating, filling in sinking graves, and other tasks just to keep this one of the most beautifully landscaped cemeteries around. We recently purchased a small, older tractor and loader to assist with some of the back-breaking tasks. It has been a huge help. Thank you to K.C. Johnson for giving us a great deal on this tractor.
This winter, some of our board members spent countless hours transferring burial records into spreadsheets, checking and re-checking, to make sure we have as accurate records as we possibly can. Having established this new record format, these records have been placed on our new website in which you will be able to access these records, searching for relatives and friends. As time goes along, we will be adding more material such as stories, pictures, and the history of our inhabitants. A special thank you to Roger Flynn for graciously donating his time to developing and designing this new website.
We have also been adding and replacing our plot markers (fabricated by our student high school shop class) in some of the newer sections, specifically sections I, J, K, and L. As these areas are filling up quickly, we need these markers to accurately mark new interments.
We have now added extra plots just for cremations, dividing a regular grave into three plots so you won’t have to pay for a regular grave if you don’t need the space. These areas are in the north part of Section I.
As we acquire more funds, we would also like to establish a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) fund for future equipment replacements such as our mower, tractors, and irrigation system which are starting to show their age.
This year during the Memorial Day weekend, Pam McDonald and her 4-H group, the Rocky Mtn Rough Hands, will be on hand to assist you in locating loved ones or any other tasks you might have. Pam has also donated to our new website and worked with us to prepare for this year’s Memorial Day weekend.
The American Legion will again be placing American Flags on the graves of our veterans. In our quest for accurate records, we have collaborated with the Legion to add previously unknown veterans to our records. We have over 300 veterans in our cemetery, some dating back to civil war times.
A special thank you to Bill Alley for over 30 years as our Caretaker and over 20 years as our board secretary. Bill needed to retire for health reasons, but he did a super job while at the cemetery with many compliments on his fine job skills. Also, thank you to Helen Turcotte for her many years as a director on the board as she has retired also.
For those of you who wish to find the cemetery, you can do a Google Map search for 50 Deep Creek Cemetery Rd., Townsend, MT.
Our Current Directors: John Hahn – President, Gary Olsen – V. President, Kevin Flynn – Secretary and Co-Treasurer, Craig Vietz – Co-Treasurer and Caretaker, Chuck McLane, Tom Shindoll, and Cory Davis – directors at large.
Over the years, with expenses increasing and investment income decreasing, it has become impossible to maintain our funds for your beautiful cemetery. Our only income comes from the sale of graves, a too-small amount of secure investments, and donations and memorials from you who really care about the care we are giving your cemetery.
Please leave a generous donation or memorial at
https://www.deepcreekcemetery.com (this website will be up and running by Memorial Day Weekend)
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PhotoCredit: John Hahn
Image 1 Caption: Deep Creek Cemetery Photo credit: John Hahn
