Commentary: Dufur cemetery looks to establish veterans memorial

Currently there are 69 veterans interred in the cemetery, including 14 who are Civil War veterans. Our goal is to establish a Veterans Memorial that will be a living legacy to future generations and perhaps spark interest for further research to find out who in our families served in times of peace and war. It will be a testament to the legacy of those who sacrificed much so that we can live in America, land of the free, home of the brave.

The idea for a Veterans Memorial was formed because of an article found in the Dufur Dispatch, August 6, 1925, edition, providing us with information that the local post of the American Legion had been “allotted a 76 mm minenwerfer from Oregon’s share of the war trophies captured by the American forces during the World War.” Later, that trophy was donated to the World War II scrap drive. The cemetery has a “lot” dedicated to the American Legion. A lot is 16 feet by 20 feet, and it is in this lot that we want to place a Veterans Memorial. The area is east of our flag-pole and will face the parking area, which is highly visible to all visitors.

Our cemetery is composed of a director-treasurer, secretary, and a board of three additional members, all of whom must pass a background check with the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board. We also have several ex-officio board members who attend meetings and help serve at the cemetery. Our records are audited every two years by the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board and an inspection of the cemetery is conducted. Funds to support the cemetery come from sales of plots and donations. We sell plots to Wasco County residents and people who have a connection to this area. The Dufur Community Cemetery is located on Highway 197, two miles north of Dufur, on donated lands in the midst of wheat fields.

The Veterans Memorial will be completed in two phases. We have already received a grant of $2,500 from Wasco Electric Co-op and we have raised $10,000 in donations. This will cover phase one.

Phase 1: The memorial will consist of two basalt columns, which are indigenous to this area, with a two-sided sign. One side will depict the six branches of military service and an image of the “minenwerfer cannon” with a history of why it is depicted on the sign. The second side will list the veterans in the cemetery. Gerald and Mike Reffitt of General Excavation in Dufur will obtain the two basalt columns needed for the project and set them in place for us at no charge. Our goal is to dedicate Phase 1 on Armed Forces Day, May 18.

Phase 2: We will add a granite bench and a sidewalk. The cost for this phase will be approximately $8,000 for the bench and the sidewalk.

We are hoping you will join us in this project with a donation to help us achieve our goal. We have also set up a “Go Fund Me” account on the Dufur Community Cemetery Facebook page. A list of major donors will be on our sign. Please direct any questions to our director.

We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your consideration.

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Darlien France is Dufur Community Cemetery director.