Fairmont's Maple Grove Cemetery dedicates Memorial Plaza to veterans, others

May 30—FAIRMONT — While there were many barbecues, cookouts and bonfires happening around Marion County, groups across Fairmont aimed to ensure residents remember the real reason for Memorial Day.

"A lot of times, we're just a name on a tombstone," Toby Heaney said. "It means a lot seeing these folks out here today."

Heaney, VFW District 1 Commander for West Virginia, was at Maple Grove Cemetery in East Side, Monday where both the living and the dead were honored for their service to the country.

He was joined by other veterans along with state, county and city officials who visited Maple Grove to commemorate and dedicate its new Memorial Plaza.

The cemetery's board has overseen a major renovation and revitalization project over the past year. Their most recent venture was construction of the new Memorial Plaza that honors first responders, Gold Star Families, "Rosie the Riveters" and veterans of all military branches.

Maple Grove has a long history, with graves dating back to the American Revolution. The cemetery is the final resting place for over 300 veterans from wars as recent as the Vietnam War.

The names of all 309 veterans interred at Maple Grove were read Monday as volunteers placed roses at the monuments to each group.

Although Heaney is not a Coast Guard veteran, he was glad to lay a rose to honor service members from that military branch. He saw combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom and retired from the military after two decades of service.

"After 24 years I decided to grow up and get a real job, that wasn't going to happen though, so here I am," Heaney said with a laugh.

The renovation and revitalization of Maple Grove has been an uphill battle for the cemetery board, especially for its president, Marcella Yaremchuk, who began the project in October 2022 to prepare for a Wreaths Across America ceremony that was held this past December, the first such ceremony held in Marion County.

When the project started, the cemetery didn't have as much as a sign in front of its entrance.

They've successfully tended to the massive amounts of landscaping and tree trimming that needed to be done and installed two new signs marking the entrances.

"We had 200 volunteer manhours put into this, over 20 loads of brush and trash hauled out of here as well as support from the city, county and individual businesses," Cemetery Board Secretary John Layman said. "What you see here today is because of you, what you've done and your contributions."

After all the work date, there is more work to do. The new installation of the Memorial Plaza is just the start of the next step of additions and improvements they have in mind.

Future improvements include, a new set of stairs to allow easier access down a steep grade, a memorial for the infant and child graves in the cemetery, gates for the entrances and further improvements to the Memorial Plaza.

"We do this because it's the right thing to do, we need to honor those who have gone before us and not forget about them and not forget the part they played in our lives," Yaremchuk said. "We owe so many so much."

The Maple Grove Cemetery Board is still raising funds for its maintenance and revitalization efforts. Donations of any amount can be mailed to the Maple Grove Cemetery Association at 507 Ohio Ave., Fairmont, WV 26554. All checks should be made payable to Maple Grove Cemetery.

Reach David Kirk at 304-367-2522 or by email at dkirk@timeswv.com.

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