Cumberland County pledged $30,000 to Upper Cumberland Cemetery Association to fund the construction of an enclosed committal chapel at the new regional veterans cemetery.
Upper Cumberland Cemetery Association Co-Chair and Cumberland County Representative Shawn Brunelle said the local contribution provides necessary funding for structures that federal grants do not cover. Brunelle said the federal government provides a bare minimum amount of money for the project which excludes the cost of enclosing the chapel.
“The county and private contributions are in addition to the federal because the federal funding that we get provides a bare minimum amount of money to build the cemetery,” Brunelle said. “It doesn’t provide for a closed committal chapel and some other additional structures that a lot of cemeteries already have.”
Brunelle said the association has approached every county in the region for financial support over the last 13 years. Brunelle said the specific amount requested from each county is often based on the number of veterans residing in that specific area.
“It’s important to continue to get more funding or you know, grants or donations from all the surrounding counties to help us provide services and buildings and structures on the cemetery that the federal government won’t pay for,” Brunelle said. “So you know, the federal government will give us money for the basics. But to get the additional structures that our association would like to have, that’s going to be important for private donations or government donations to give us so we can get those facilities built.”
Brunelle said Cumberland County currently has approximately 6,000 veterans who would benefit from a local site.
Brunelle said the association currently plans to break ground on the cemetery in December 2026.
Brunelle said having a cemetery in the Upper Cumberland prevents families from having to drive to Nashville, Chattanooga, or Knoxville for burials.
“It’s very important for a lot of veterans in our area and especially for our committee to have this finally come to fruition,” Brunelle said. “I came in a couple years later, but to have people that are on the committee now from day one, it’s it’s satisfying to finally see something come to fruition that they’ve been working so hard for.”
Brunelle said the state has already received construction bids for the White County site. Brunelle said officials are currently waiting for contractors to submit final timelines and bids.
“I think it’s important that the county governments and local people continue to stand with us to say that, hey, we we stand for you, we want to give back something to the veterans that they have given up over the years, they’ve given up time, sacrifice, and sometimes their lives for service of their community and country,” Brunelle said.
Brunelle said the project has faced delays since 2013, leading to frustration among some members of the veteran community. Brunelle said the recent commitment of federal and local funds ensures that veterans will finally have a local final resting spot.
“Well, I I just want to let people know that over the years I know there’s been a lot of people that have been frustrated and aggravated that for a long time it didn’t seem that this project was going to ever move forward or get completed,” Brunelle said. “But now that it has, I think it’s something that, it’s a long time coming that, the, veterans and their families are finally going to get something that was told that it was, it was going to happen, but it seemed like it didn’t. But now that it is, I think it’s important that the government has finally said, okay, thank you for serving and we have an area for you to, you know, have a final resting spot when the time comes.”
