‘Heartsick’ over cemetery

To those who have family, friends or love ones buried at Fourche Loupe Cemetery:

I visited Fourche Loupe Cemetery the week before Memorial Day. I was heartsick when I observed the condition of parts of the cemetery. For those that may not be aware, Fourche Loupe is a family or donation-maintained cemetery.

It is an old cemetery, likely established in the 1800s, and many buried there no longer have living families or the living family members are in ill health. Therein lies the problem. Areas of the cemetery that still have families are maintained by those families, but the cemetery board can’t afford continuous maintenance of the areas where no family provides care due to lack of donations. The board can only afford to have the cemetery fully cleaned once or twice a year and it is quite expensive when done. Additional donations that would allow all growing season maintenance would clearly be less expensive each time.

I did receive a call early this week to tell me that additional work had been done at the cemetery since my visit. However, to maintain the cleaned condition, additional funds are needed.

Let me clarify, I am not a member of the cemetery board, nor do I have family buried there, but I do have loved ones there and I am certainly concerned about the upkeep and my donation check is in the mail. I encourage anyone that has family friends or loved ones buried there do the same.

The mailing address posted at the cemetery is Fourche Loupe Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 22521, Hot Springs, AR 71903. This P.O. box was not active for awhile due to a death, but I have confirmed with two board members that it has been reactivated.

Thank you for allowing me to vent.