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Bluff Cemetery Board requests memorial bricks for 18 unknown burials, outlines new section plans
Summary
The Bluff Cemetery Board told the council it is working with Southwest Heritage Foundation to acquire a new cemetery section, presented SHPO-recommended forms, reported GPR found no bedrock or burials in the new section, and asked the council to approve 18 memorial bricks at a cost of $702.
Representatives of the Bluff Cemetery Board reported to the Town Council on April 21 that board members are working with the Southwest Heritage Foundation to acquire a rectangular parcel west of the existing Bluff Cemetery to create a new burial section.
Board members Harmon and Hiserodt said revised cemetery forms have been prepared following State Historic Preservation Office recommendations and will be fillable and retained both electronically and physically. The board reported that ground-penetrating radar (GPR) did not identify bedrock or previously unknown burials in the proposed new section; Board members cited a depth evaluation by Mary Gillam and said caveats will be included on paperwork if specific plots prove unusable.
The board requested approval to purchase 18 flat memorial bricks engraved with the word "unknown" to mark unmarked burial locations. Harmon said the bricks would be engravable and estimated the cost at $39 per brick plus shipping — a total of $702. The council indicated it was comfortable with the purchase and thanked the Cemetery Board for its work; the board proposed holding a clean-up day and an Unknown Burials Ceremony once the new section is transferred.
Harmon and Hiserodt reminded the council that cemetery board meetings are posted on the town website and invited residents to participate; the board’s next meeting is scheduled for May 8, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
The council did not take separate formal action beyond indicating support for purchasing the bricks and receiving the report.
