Dear Editor:

A few weeks before Memorial Day, I found myself wandering around the Wagner Cemetery. Most of my family are buried there. As I walked around, I was shocked and saddened by the lack of care for the deceased. Headstones broken off the foundations, sunken graves that need more dirt, no trimming around markers.

Before I go any further, I did my research. It is owned by the ZCJ Lodge, which has a very limited amount of money to work with. It is my understanding someone is maintaining it, but let's face it, one person cannot do it all! Let me thank this person for what she does accomplish. It's a big job. What I don't understand is how a community to size of Wagner can let this special place look that way. The cemetery represents all churches in the community.

Where I live and raised my family, the community rivals together, as a large group, mowing it would be a quick job. The first major project would be filling holes and fixing foundations. It could be an amazing cemetery. And yes, I would try and be there to help.

My brother and I were looking for a grave he had seen a few years ago and we couldn't find it. He suggested the directory in front of the cemetery. That's all faded and not legible. No help.

What a great project for a youth group. Just don't forget to use an ink that won't fade away and make a copy of your work in case it needs to be replaced later.

Thank you for allowing me to voice myself and I pray the Wagner Community gathers together for such a worthy cause. Let's all be good caretakers of the deceased. They deserve that respect.

Sincerely,

Marsha K Clemens Tuschen