Fee Fee Cemetery

Sunday at the cemetery.Four notable residents will "come back to life" for a while to tell of their lives and accomplishments in Lockport, including:— James Shuler (portrayed by Geoff Koplas), owner of the Lockport quarries that furnished stone for the cemetery wall and his family home, which is now DeSales Catholic School.— Birdsall Holly (Charlie Begley), industrialist and inventor of the first pressurized fire hydrant who had a scandalous family life.— Lyman and Amy Spalding (Dennis and Carol Caisse), Quaker residents of early Lowertown and devoted community servants.Cemetery Tales is a walking tour of Cold Springs Cemetery. The fee is $10 per person; reservations should be called in to the Niagara History Center at 434-7433. Participants will meet at the Cold Springs Road entrance about 1 p.m.; bring an umbrella or a camp stool if needed. (Lockport Union-Sun & Journal)

The Chickasha Cemetery Board may consider a new ordinance to address evolving  ways bereaved persons are laying the cremains of loved ones to rest. Mary Wood lost her brother and sister within a short time frame. Her family members were cremated, and Wood chose a monument in which a portion of the ashes were placed inside the headstone. The other relative's cremains were placed underneath the headstone's base.Wood said her family made special arrangements to travel to meet Wood in June to celebrate Wood's birthday and visit the headstone. This was to take place on a Sunday. When Wood had the headstone placed the Saturday before, she said Ron Chapman, sexton, said there was a higher fee for the weekend. Chapman said the weekday fee for burial of cremains is $250 and $375 on weekends, as per city policy. Chapman said the weekend fee was waived in this case. However, Wood said she found the burial charge of $250 for each family member's cremains — a total of $500 — unfair due to the manner in which the cremains were distributed. Wood said only a small portion of the ashes were placed below the headstone, at about the same depth the headstone was placed in the ground. Moreover, she said the cremains within the headstone required no additional burial. Wood said she understood paying a stone setting fee — which Chapman said is $25 — but not a burial charge when she felt no actual burial took place. Wood said there was no extra equipment or machinery needed to carry out placement of the ashes. However, Wood felt under pressure because her family would be traveling for the occasion and so for that reason she paid the $500. Michael Oberlender, Chickasha Cemetery Board member, said that he doesn't think anyone intended to do anything wrong. Oberlender said this is a unique situation and one that may come up again as people become more creative in the ways they honor their loved one's cremains. However, in this case there were no ordinances in place for guidance. Charlie Ferguson, C... (Chickasha Express Star)