Algood Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler transitioning from her role as city mayor to serve on the newly formalized Cemetery Commission to ensure the preservation of her family’s resting place.
Fowler said the Algood City Council recently appointed members to the commission to provide more structure and official oversight for the facility. Fowler said the city needed to codify the operations of the cemetery and ensure the board remains good stewards of the cemetery’s existing savings.
“I live here and I am proud of our cemetery and my family, most of them are over there, I mean, their headstones are there,” Fowler said. “But I just want to do whatever I can to help out, and if that was something I could volunteer to do, I was glad to do it.”
Fowler said the Chapman family is buried together at the entrance of the cemetery, including her parents and her only brother, who died at the age of 18.
“No parent thinks about losing a child and so at the time my parents, you know, we knew we wanted to be in Algood and so my parents fortunately were able to buy four plots: mom, dad, me, and my brother,” Fowler said. “And so we’re all right there in a little square right as you turn in the entrance and even though I intend to be cremated, I felt like my family would want me to have a rock there and they discussed it before they passed away.”
Fowler said she feels a personal responsibility for the grounds because she has lived in the area her entire life and remembers passing the cemetery as a child. Fowler said she already has a headstone in place at the cemetery within a family plot purchased by her parents.
“They’re just waiting on me to get to the pearly gates and I’m trying my best,” Fowler said jokingly. “I’m not in any hurry, but I’ll be glad to see them.”
Fowler said the cemetery is fiscally sound and funds itself through donations collected on Decoration Day and other contributions specified for the cemetery fund.
Fowler said the commission will manage the budget for maintenance tasks like mowing, painting, and paving. Fowler said any major expenditures, such as purchasing additional land for the crowded cemetery, would require approval from the city council.
“Oh, well, I think it needs to grow; it’s getting very crowded over there and I would like to see some land purchased but unfortunately we just haven’t been able to agree on a purchase price for property and so it’s going to grow,” Fowler said. “I mean, unfortunately, you know, we’re all going to say goodbye to this earth one of these days.”
Fowler said the cemetery holds significant historical value for people researching their ancestors and performing genealogy work. Fowler said the commission will now look to appoint three additional volunteers to serve one-year terms on the board.
“I just want to make sure that it stays that way, that we keep it maintained and that we afford them the respect that they deserve,” Fowler said.
Fowler said the commission will likely call a meeting within 14 days to plan the next steps for the cemetery’s management.
