Bank Donation Pushes Cemetery Fundraiser To Goal
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
Tyler Hill, Water Valley President at BankFirst Financial Services, and TK Townsend, BankFirst Water Valley Assistant Branch Manager, presented a $3,000 check for the Oak Ridge cemetery project last Friday. Accepting the check are fundraiser committee members Catherine Brown (from left), Rubye Carr, Ethel Morgan and Liz Reynolds.
WATER VALLEY — A long-awaited beautification project at Oak Ridge Cemetery took a major step forward Friday morning as BankFirst presented a $3,000 donation to the volunteer committee leading the effort. The check presentation was held inside the historic cemetery on Stephens Street, making a decades-long vision to improve the entrance of the cemetery a step closer to reality.
The donation brings the group to nearly $15,000 raised, enough to fund construction on a new entrance that will include iron fencing, brick columns, lighting, and a large decorative arch. One column will feature the year the cemetery was established, and the other will display a Bible scripture chosen by the group.
Committee chair Rubye Carr said the idea began nearly 25 years ago after she noticed the front entrance did not reflect the dignity of the well-kept cemetery beyond it.
“I passed by and realized it just wasn’t a proper resting place at the front,” Carr said. “So I went to Liz Reynolds, and she drew the first plans for me. I went through two mayors with it before anything moved. It’s been close to 25 years coming.”
Carr said the project gained new momentum this year, with support from Mayor Tommy Reynolds along with families, individuals, churches and former residents who still have loved ones buried at Oak Ridge.
“A lot of people have moved away, but their parents and grandparents are here,” she said. “Some of them said, ‘You don’t have to tell me anything — here’s my check.’ The community really got behind it.”
Friday’s donation closed the remaining gap, and BankFirst representative Tyler Hill said the project was an easy choice for the bank.
“We all have family or friends here,” Hill said. “It’s a beautiful cemetery, but the entrance has needed attention for years. We just wanted to give back and help support this historic place.”
Committee members Carr, Ethel Morgan, Liz Reynolds, Catherine Brown and Ella Booker joined Hill for photos at the future entrance site, discussing where the brick columns and arch will stand once construction begins.
The group hopes to complete the project soon, though Carr said the work will continue beyond the entrance.
“Anything left will go toward landscaping and long-term maintenance,” she said. “This money will stay in a separate fund so the fencing and lettering can be cared for when they need it.”
Carr said she hopes the story encourages others to help.
“We’ve reached our goal for the entrance, but there’s always more to do,” she said. “Anybody who wants to give can still be part of it.”
How to Donate
Donations can be mailed or delivered to Water Valley City Hall, designated for the Oak Ridge Cemetery Beautification Fund, or given directly to any committee member.
