BOARD MEMBERS, OFFICERS, VOLUNTEERS

We welcomed new Board Member, Jeff Finch, retired Bethel Police Chief.

As always, we welcome new DCA volunteers to the Board. Call the office at 203-748-8529 if you have
an interest in serving on the Board or volunteering in any capacity.

GROUNDS IMPROVEMENT

OFFICE

The front entrance walkway was reset to improve the drainage along the pathway and
prevent puddling at the end. New railings were installed to assist visitors with disabilities. The old
overgrown plantings around the office were replaced with new plants that add a variety of greens and
some color.

We were able to pave some roads that become very muddy and/or puddles every time it rains and in
winter. These are roads in Sections E, K, D, the intersection of R and L, the road around the Scattering
Garden and the road behind Section 21. We also patched the road along Section O by the pond and
added some curb cuts to allow for drainage of rainwater.

Trees continue to be a large expenditure. Twenty-two dead or dying trees were removed in 2023.
Many of these trees had large diameter trunks, indicating they were quite old. We are far from being
devoid of trees, except along Ellsworth Avenue just past the office.

VETERANS

Placing of flags Memorial Day has been done by the Danbury Council of Veterans. We continue to
make flags available to those who wished to place one on their loved one’s grave. These flags are
donated to us by the Danbury Council of Veterans.

LANDSCAPING

We continue to receive compliments on the work of our landscaper, Berto’s Landscaping. Berto has
been our landscaper for over 15 years. He and his crew do a fabulous job of keeping our almost 100
acres mowed throughout the year. In addition, Berto does fall and spring clean-ups all over the property
(leaves, weeds, branches) and keeps the roads clear in the winter.

SEXTON REPORT

For the year ending March 31, 2022, we had 72 casket burials and 63 cremation burials. For the year
ending March 31, 2023, we had 77 casket burials and 59 cremation burials.

We have uploaded our documented burials to findagrave.com, a free resource for locating burials.
There, you can also find listings for burials before 1885, which is when our records begin. We had a
volunteer come to us offering to photograph all the existing gravestones in the cemetery. The
photographing is almost complete, but continues to updated with new gravestones as they are installed.


FUTURE PROJECTS

More road repairs and upgrades are in-progress. Depending on the condition of current roadways in
various selected sections and degree of improvements needed tamped gravel, milling or paving with
asphalt will be done throughout 2024.

Continued tree maintenance: this is an ongoing process, as many of our trees are well in excess of 150
years old. Many of the pine trees were brought here in the 1850’s from Maine. We received 60 bare
root saplings (white oak, red oak and sugar maple) from the Lions Club. They aren’t ready for in-ground
planting yet, but should be by next spring. We are currently keeping them in tubs in a sheltered area and
they can be brought into storage for the winter.

National Registry of Historic Places application: This project was put on hold as it is a long, involved
process. Volunteers are needed on this project.

Continuing efforts to map the cemetery have been spearheaded by Norma. This involves many hours
of determining occupied and available plots and transferring information from many old handwritten
cards. Bob Young, former sexton, is working on the single grave areas first.

I-84 Danbury (CT DOT) Project to improve roadway from Exits 2-8 has formed a Project Action
Committee. Gary Boughton currently sits on the PAC as Wooster Cemetery is one of many
organizations/properties that could contribute ideas. Project is long-term with completion slated for
2040.

Financial Report is available at the office. Please call ahead if you have an interest to review it.