The Ely City Council voted unanimously to approve the donation of cemetery plots to veterans in the veterans area of the Ely Cemetery at their June 23 meeting. The agenda item was brought forward by Councilmember Bruce Setterstrom, who said that he had been asked by some local veterans if it was possible.
Photos by Marty Bachman
The Ely Cemetery will now offer free plots to veterans.
The city would still charge for opening and closing of the plot ($125) and perpetual care ($300) for a total of $425.
City Administrator Bob Switzer said that the city doesn’t bury that many vets (15 in the last five years), so that the donation would not have much impact on the city.
Setterstrom said that there were about 15 plots left in the current veterans area of the cemetery but that the city would eventually expand or open a new area for them.
“We’re never going to run out,”Setterstrom said. “If you’re a vet, you should be able to be buried for free.”
Setterstrom said that vets can be buried free at national cemeteries but that the closest ones are in Salt Lake City, Utah and Boulder City.
“If you’re born and raised here, it should be provided,” he said.
I may no longer live in Ely, but I still love this community.
Excellent.
Question: What if the veteran wasn’t born here, but have lived here for over 15 years thus far? Is the veteran still included in receiving a free plot?
I think that the City council should tour the plots in the lower area of the cemetery. There are many plots there that need to be restored. The plots have been damaged by years of snow and weather. It is clear that the loved ones of many of these old plots are not around to tend to them. It may be a nice idea to have a group of volunteers pitch in to work on the plots or donate to a fund to repair the plots.