November 5, 2018 at 4:01 p.m.
National cemetery project moving along despite wet weather
VA officials still looking at a spring/summer 2019 opening
National cemetery project moving along despite wet weather
Bob Roeser, an administrative officer with the NCA's Ft. Snelling office, told the Lakeland Times work on the cemetery is "progressing nicely".
"At one point this summer, they were slightly ahead of schedule," Roeser said Thursday. "I think all the rain kind of slowed things down a bit but we're still looking at a projected opening of the spring or summer of 2019."
Roeser said he believes the cemetery will be "fairly busy" once it opens.
"Because of the veteran population, people want to go there," he said.
Construction began earlier this summer on the cemetery, which is designed to include 2,000 pre-placed crypts.
Each inground crypt is designed to accommodate two caskets.
There will also be capacity for inground cremations as well as for those above ground.
Private vaults, to be separate from the crypts, will also be available.
Roeser said people are already inquiring about the availability of future burials and cremations in another national cemetery being constructed near Fargo, N.D.,which is expected to open at roughly the same time as the Cassian cemetery.
"Our initial rush for the first few months of the first year ... it'll probably be a pretty active cemetery," Roeser said.
NCA staff members held informational meetings earlier this year in Rhinelander, Eagle River and Merrill to update the public on the project's status and to gather input for a possible name.
Roeser said the name of the cemetery has not yet been approved.
Brian Jopek may be reached [email protected].
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