CASSADAGA — The Cassadaga Cemetery Association held its annual meeting with the officers and trustees in the Jefferson Hall in the village, recently. The purpose of the meeting is to review the finances of the association, the maintenance of the grounds, and to get the statistics of the recent year.

President Scott Dibble welcomed all to the meeting and led the group in prayer. Village of Cassadaga historian John Sipos was present and served as the adviser. Sipos had been on the board for nine years previously.

The fiscal year for the cemetery association is from May 1, 2023 until April 30, 2024.

The Cassadaga Cemetery dates back to 1817 and this marks the 207th year. The cemetery is located at the west end on Maple Avenue of the former village boundary next to another village once known as Burnhams. Burnhams had its own post office, which was once located in one of the buildings of the Fredrickson Builders Supply.

Burnhams was dissolved in December 1942 and became part of the village of Cassadaga. Cassadaga was formed in 1809 and became incorporated in 1921. The village line was then extended farther west to the edge of Stockton Hill, said historian Sipos.

The Cassadaga Cemetery may be accessed from Maple Avenue, and is divided into five sections marked A, B, C, D, and E. Section E is the newest section farther back.

The secretary-treasurer is Sue Penhollow, who presented to the group the annual financial report of the cemetery. Penhollow was thanked for all of her efforts and work maintaining the records and completing the necessary forms, including the annual state reports.

Jedidah Walter is the grounds keeper for the cemetery. The main task is mowing and trimming around the tombstones. Lawn mowers and trimming equipment need to be frequently serviced. Maintaining the cemetery during the spring, summer and fall is a continuous effort.

Appreciation was extended for the new doors of the storage building.

When the cemetery lots were first sold with perpetual care, one never realized that inflation would cause the maintenance costs to increase. The Cassadaga Cemetery Association accepts donations to help maintain the cemetery. All donations are appreciated and may be sent to the Cassadaga Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 351, Cassadaga, NY 14718.

The regulations of the cemetery are posted on a bulletin board in the back of section D. Graves are not to be outlined with bricks or rocks as this makes mowing difficult. Any item placed in the cemetery must be of a permanent material. Summer items placed in the cemetery must be removed by Oct. 1, and winter and Christmas items must be removed by April 1. Water is available in several places of the cemetery.

The board has set in the near future a day for clean-up in the surrounding area. A special thanks was extended to Paula Pattison for her many hours of trimming around the stones. Pattison began trimming in November and said each time she continues until her battery loses its charge. Thanks were extended to Dan Thorp for his time with water problems. Election of officers for 2024-2025 were held. Dibble will continue as the president next year. Penhollow will continue as the secretary-treasurer.

Trustees include Diane House Blizzard, Paula Pattison, Cheryl MacKinder, Dan Thorp and Thomas MacKinder. Sipos will continue to serve as the adviser. At all meetings, Cassadaga Cemetery lot owners are welcome to attend.