Submitted Photo The Evergreen Lawn Cemetery of Hanover building has been dedicated in honor of Wayne Heupel for his many years of service to the cemetery. Pictured is the sign now hanging at the cemetery building.

HANOVER — For many, many years, Wayne Heupel had done it all for the Evergreen Lawn Cemetery of Hanover.

“Wayne used to do everything,” said Cheryl Robinson, of Hanover. “He was the go-to person for everything.”

But now that Heupel’s health has forced him to step back from his duties at the cemetery, his presence will be noticed in a different way.

The Evergreen Lawn Cemetery of Hanover Board of Trustees recently dedicated the cemetery building in Heupel’s honor. The building is now adorned with his name by a sign at the top.

“Wayne has always donated time, supplies, and equipment to the cemetery. He repaired the lawn mowers, fixed driveways, disposed of trash, cleared, and disposed of limbs and fallen trees, never allowing himself to be reimbursed for any of it,” Lon Robinson, President of the Evergreen Lawn Cemetery of Hanover, said during the official dedication.

Heupel first became involved in the cemetery when his father, Clarence T. Heupel, first came aboard in 1966 and served as President from 1967 to 1983. Wayne assisted his father in laying out the lots in the 2-acre section of the cemetery purchased in 1967.

He later became president of the cemetery in 2004 and served for 14 years, until 2018. He then served as the vice president from 2019-2021.

“Wayne has been a major resource of knowledge about the on-goings of the cemetery. Due to his poor health, he is unable to assist at this time and is terribly missed,” Cemetery President Lon Robinson said.

Even slightly before Heupel’s health began to decline, the board had already decided that we were going to dedicate the building to honor him. The building needed updates and maintenance, but once everything was completed, the board chose to dedicate the building in honor of Heupel.

The Evergreen Lawn Cemetery of Hanover Board of Trustees also gave thanks to the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation for its fall 2021 grant, which enabled the cemetery to trim, cut and replace trees to provide safety and beauty for all who visit. The Board of Trustees also thanked the town of Hanover for its financial support, which enabled a small parking lot to be added to the grounds, as well as added maintenance.