A group of concerned citizens worked hard to bring the Lutsen cemetery back to life. The existing cemetery, located adjacent to the new land, was full. The property for the new cemetery was donated by the George Nelson family and Scott Harrison.
Just a couple of months ago Lutsen Township was the only township in the county without a “working” cemetery for its residents.
For residents who wished to be buried in the township, the situation was grave—you were going to run into a dead-end if you wanted Lutsen to be your final resting place. The old cemetery was full and no more plots were available.
But recently that all changed. A new cemetery [adjacent to the old one] has given new life to people who die and want to be buried in their hometown. The new cemetery is the work of the Lutsen Cemetery Committee, which Dick Nelson chairs.
With eight lots sold and more people excited to buy in the near future, Dick Nelson said progress “is pretty exciting.”
Of the lots sold, Nelson said, “They all have views of the golf course. People being people, the best views have already been chosen.”
Nelson gave his report to the folks attending the August 16, 2011 Lutsen township meeting.
All told there are 155 gravesites and 99 cremation sites. The new burial ground sits on land given to the township by the George Nelson and Scott Harrison families.
Nelson said his committee was finished forming bylaws, regulations and deeds. He said the next step was to acquire $50,000 and put it into a “lock-box fund,” with the interest generated from that money dedicated to paying for maintenance.
“We need to take care of the cemetery. We have all seen what happens when there isn’t money appropriated for maintenance,” said Nelson.
The lock-box funds will come from previous money given to the cemetery committee by Lutsen Township and by the sale of plots.
Alta McQuatters, an officer on the cemetery committee, showed a large sheet of paper thanking Scott Harrison, the Nelson family and early native Ojibwe who helped make the first cemetery and the new cemetery possible.
“These words will be bronzed and placed on a rock in the cemetery,” said McQuatters.
Nelson said there are plans to move a unique, Volkswagen-sized rock into the cemetery that will host the bronzed plaque. “If we can move it, we will,” said Nelson, adding that a local contractor thinks he has the machinery to accomplish the feat.
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