Cemeteries
The Board of Selectmen are currently working with interested citizens on the project of mapping our town cemeteries. The Cemetery Committee was established in 2004. Additional land is also sought for these cemeteries.
The cost of perpetual care for a cemetery lot is $200 for a burial lot, and $125 for a lot for cremains. The cost of grave openings are negotiated directly with the Sexton. Perpetual care of the cemeteries is provided by the Town.
John Mill Sexton, this contractor performs routine maintenance on the Town's 3 maintained cemeteries. In addition, he assists in the burial of the deceased. You can contact John Miller through the town office.
Cemetery Locations
- Brookside Cemetery, located on the South Rd. (currently full)
- Central Cemetery, located on the Allen Rd., which is 0.4 miles on the Bald Mountain Rd. from the Dedham Fire Station Mann Cemetery, located off the Main Rd. (family cemetery)
- Pine Trail Cemetery, formerly known as the Eastern Cemetery, located on Pine Trail, off Main Rd.
- Saunders Cemetery, located off the Bald Mountain Rd. (family cemetery, currently full)
- Union Cemetery, located on the corner of the Bald Mountain Rd. and the McGinnis Rd, which is 1.4 miles from the Dedham Fire Station.
Cemetery Committee
Al Jellison - Term expires 6/2014
Eunice Ladd - Term expires 6/2015
Barbara Cox - Term Expires 6/2014
Meetings are held as needed and are open to all.
This year, we will continue to improve the appearance of the cemeteries. Some tree stumps need to be removed from Union Cemetery and new graves need to be plotted. Central Cemetery and Pine Trail Cemetery need to be cleaned up and new fencing installed.
We have a few volunteers working on cemetery transcription, which is copying information from head stones onto a standardized form. Some of the older grave markers are becoming difficult to read and this is a way to insure that the personal and historical data listed on these stone is not lost. Volunteers are always welcome. If you are interested in a particular cemetery's preservation and want to spend some idle hours transcribing gravestones, or if you want to take pictures of the graves and plot their location, please contact us.
We have attempted to "plot" our cemeteries and determine what lots are available. However, the information which we have is missing many details. If you have paperwork on interment rights which were purchased in the past or information on the location of unmarked graves or graves whose markers have been destroyed or removed, please attend one of our meetings or let the Town Office know.
Some of the cemeteries have sustained winter damage. Perhaps you can donate a weekend to help clear brush or remove a tree. Call the town office and leave your name and phone number if you are able to help.
The Honor a Veteran Program was a success. We were amazed at how many donations were received from individuals who live out-of-state with little or no connection to Dedham. An article about the Program appeared in a Washington D.C. newsletter for individuals working in the D.C. area with connections to Maine. Several veterans from that area contributed to this program. Flag holders for veterans' graves will be purchased with the funds collected. This is an on-going project and is a wonderful way of recognizing the dedication of our veterans past, present, and future.