June 25, 2018 at 4:56 p.m.
Work begins on Cassian national cemetery
Work begins on Cassian national cemetery
Motorists traveling on Lakewood Road will notice trees have been removed from the parcel located across the road from Union Grove Cemetery and a sign has been erected explaining the 6-acre site will soon be a natonal cemetery.
Back in 2012, the National Cemetery Administration, a directorate of the U.S. Veterans Administration, chose Cassian to be one of eight sites in a "rural initiative" program. Another step came in October 2015 when the acreage on Lakewood Road was purchased.
This spring, VA personnel held public informational meetings on the project in Merrill, Eagle River and Rhinelander at which time they also gathered suggestions for a name for the cemetery.
According to John Knapp, deputy director of the Ft. Snelling National
Cemetery, the name suggestions have been sent to Washington, D.C., where a final decision will be made.
Musson Brothers Construction, the primary contractor, began the land clearing phase earlier this month, resulting in neat piles of wood stacked and waiting to be taken away by an Antigo-based logger.
In January of this year, the VA officials said they were in the process of reviewing three different plans for the cemetery.
Knapp told The Lakeland Times, "we do have a 100 percent design of the facility now."
The design will include 2,000 pre-placed crypts, he noted.
"In-ground, concrete crypts designed to accommodate two caskets," Knapp said. "In cemetery lingo, there will be a 'crypt field,' a whole field that has a lot of crypts."
According to Knapp, there will also be a field with the capability for in-ground cremations as well as for above ground cremations.
Private vaults, to be separate from the crypts, will also be available.
"The cemetery's not tremendously large," Knapp said. "Here at Ft. Snelling (in Minneapolis), I have about 20,000 crypts here."
Even so, he said the site plan includes two phases, the first of which is taking place now.
"This is intended to get us out 10 years," Knapp said. "And the second phase we'll adjust from phase one based on the burial types and trends we will see."
For now, though, he said he's pleased the project is moving forward with the tree clearing and site preparation.
"That's all good news," Knapp said.
Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected]
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