2019 in review: Volunteers help Tamaqua area cemetery remain open
Kathleen Quinn-Farber of Tamaqua, an LPN and home care specialist, has no relatives buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery but is drawn to the burial ground and has been spearheading a campaign to recruit volunteers to ensure the future of the 155-year-old site.
This year, Odd Fellows Cemetery, the 155-year old burial grounds located in west Tamaqua sparked a conversation within the town.
The cemetery made headlines when Secretary of Harmony Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows Justin C. Bailey made a written appeal to the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership in January. With the continued decrease in funds and manpower, Bailey explained the historic burial grounds would have to close.
Coined “City of the Dead,” the cemetery is the site of more than 16,000 graves, more than twice the population of the town, including hundreds of undocumented graves too.
In April, more than 50 volunteers came together to clean up the cemetery.
“I’m ecstatic with this turnout,” Bailey said during the cleanup. “If we can keep getting people to come here, we can keep up the momentum.”
Since then, the momentum has continued. Fundraisers and monthly cleanups has allowed the cemetery to stay afloat. The most recent cleanup occurred in early December.
