HONORING THE FALLEN

Volunteers place Memorial Day flags at Edgewood Cemetery

POTTSTOWN » Memorial Day flags were placed at the graves of veterans in Pottstown’s historic Edgewood Cemetery this weekend.

State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D146th Dist., helped obtain flags for the placement Sunday, but when the volunteers arrived, they found a number of flags had already been placed.

“A group of people showed up Saturday and already had done most of the flag-placing,” according to Cathy Skitko, a cemetery board member and communications director of The Hill School and Hobart’s Run.

“We are very grateful to whomever it was who did the lion’s share of the work,” she said.

Due to the social distancing requirements designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many Memorial Day ceremonies, parades and even flag placements had to be canceled this year.

One of Pottstown’s oldest cemeteries, Edgewood contains graves of Pottstown veterans from nearly all of America’s armed conflicts.

Maintenance of the cemetery, which costs about $20,000 a year, is now being overseen by a nonprofit organization after the cemetery was abandoned in 2012.

The organization accepts tax-deductible donations to help with the maintenance of the cemetery. Checks made out to

Edgewood Cemetery can be mailed Edgewood Cemetery, c/o 740 E. High St., Pottstown, PA 19464.

Additionally, trash-grabbers are now being sold for $15 apiece as a fundraising campaign that is also aimed at helping to clean up Pottstown’s streets.

Proceeds for the $15 tools benefit the cemetery’s mowing fund and they can be obtained by sending a $15 check to the above address, or through PayPal.

“We would love to see families or groups purchase the trash pickers and head out to routinely help keep Pottstown’s streets clean,” Skitko said.

“At the same time their purchase will help Edgewood Historic Cemetery maintain and improve the grounds,” she said. “So this is a win-win for the cemetery and the borough.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHY SKITKO For Memorial Day, Bronwyn DeMaso, a board member of Edgewood Cemetery, places a flag at the headstone of her brother Job, a Navy SEAL.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHY SKITKO State Rep. Joe Ciresi, right, and Dave Edwards place flags at veterans graves in Pottstown’s Edgewood Cemetery for Memorial Day. Ciresi helped obtain the flags for placement.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHY SKITKO Memorial Day flags were placed at the grave sites of veterans in Pottstown’s Edgewood Cemetery Sunday.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHY SKITKO Edgewood Cemetery board members Andrew Monastra, left, and Cathy Skitko show off the trash grabbers being sold to raise money for the maintenance of the historic burial ground.