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Redwood Falls, Minn. —
Sometimes, when he’s out taking care of the Redwood Falls Cemetery, Bob Laufenburger finds himself helping families locate graves.
“I’ll be out here, and someone will come up and ask if I can find their Aunt Nellie,” said Laufenburger. “Well, we’ve got 30 Nellies out here, but I’ll call Carol at home and we’ll try to help.”
“Carol” would be Bob’s wife, secretary of the Redwood Falls Cemetery Association. The association’s records, dating back over a century, are stored in a 500 pound fireproof safe.
Laufenburger has been in charge of maintaining the cemetery for the past five years, since he retired from the school system.
“On my first day, I learned how to mow close to the stones without rubbing against them,” he said. “There’s sort of a trick to it.
“On my second day, I learned how to change the blades on the lawnmower.
“On my third day, I tried using the backhoe to dig a grave. It ended up being big enough for a family.
“On the fourth day, O learned how to grease the tractor, and locate graves.”
It takes about an hour to dig a grave of about 3.5 feet wide, eight feet long, and 5.5 feet deep.
In winter, a special lp burner can thaw out the ground in about 24-36 hours.
“We’ve had frost down to about four feet, but we dig graves all year around,” Laufenburger said.
“In a good week, I can mow the whole thing in about four and a half days, with another day to weed whip. In the spring, I’ll mow the lawn, then go back and mow it again.”
Before about 1950, burial vaults weren’t required.
“Before, it was just a wooden box put in the ground,” said Laufenburger. “In the old sections the ground gets real ripply from the graves sinking. The soil is real gravelly here. I think at one time, parts of it were a gravel pit.”
He also is responsibile for cleaning up flowers and decorations left on graves.
“I let them stay on seven days before Memorial Day, and usually two or three weeks after.
The association only maintains the grounds — the stones are the family’s responsibility.
“In the storm we had one stone in the older section that a tree fell on. We’ll have to fix that since that family isn’t around anymore,” Laufenburger said.
Sometimes, when he’s out taking care of the Redwood Falls Cemetery, Bob Laufenburger finds himself helping families locate graves.
“I’ll be out here, and someone will come up and ask if I can find their Aunt Nellie,” said Laufenburger. “Well, we’ve got 30 Nellies out here, but I’ll call Carol at home and we’ll try to help.”
“Carol” would be Bob’s wife, secretary of the Redwood Falls Cemetery Association. The association’s records, dating back over a century, are stored in a 500 pound fireproof safe.
Laufenburger has been in charge of maintaining the cemetery for the past five years, since he retired from the school system.
“On my first day, I learned how to mow close to the stones without rubbing against them,” he said. “There’s sort of a trick to it.
“On my second day, I learned how to change the blades on the lawnmower.
“On my third day, I tried using the backhoe to dig a grave. It ended up being big enough for a family.
“On the fourth day, O learned how to grease the tractor, and locate graves.”
It takes about an hour to dig a grave of about 3.5 feet wide, eight feet long, and 5.5 feet deep.
In winter, a special lp burner can thaw out the ground in about 24-36 hours.
“We’ve had frost down to about four feet, but we dig graves all year around,” Laufenburger said.
“In a good week, I can mow the whole thing in about four and a half days, with another day to weed whip. In the spring, I’ll mow the lawn, then go back and mow it again.”
Before about 1950, burial vaults weren’t required.
“Before, it was just a wooden box put in the ground,” said Laufenburger. “In the old sections the ground gets real ripply from the graves sinking. The soil is real gravelly here. I think at one time, parts of it were a gravel pit.”
He also is responsibile for cleaning up flowers and decorations left on graves.
“I let them stay on seven days before Memorial Day, and usually two or three weeks after.
The association only maintains the grounds — the stones are the family’s responsibility.
“In the storm we had one stone in the older section that a tree fell on. We’ll have to fix that since that family isn’t around anymore,” Laufenburger said.
The cemetery association just celebrated it’s 100th birthday last year, although the oldest graves date back before that to pioneer days.
“Two sisters were buried out here in 1974,” said Laufenburger. “There were some burials out by the courthouse before they, but they were moved out here.”
However, upkeep in the early years was spotty at best.
“In 1910, 15 ladies in town decided to start the association since they decided the men weren’t doing a good job of taking care of the cemetery,” Laufenburger said.
The original cemetery has been added onto over the years, and now encompasses 27 acres, with 8,000 plots filled. In addition to the grave plots, the cemetery has a cremation section with space for 675 urns.
“We have room for another 3,000,” said Laufenburger. “We do about 40 burials a year, so I doubt I’ll ever see it full.”
About 700 graves belong to veterans — 103 of them from the Civil War.
One lane of unmarked graves is informally called “Pauper’s Row,” since that’s where the county buried those who died in the county poorhouse.
Decades ago, when people didn’t move around so much, families would buy plots in lots of eight in anticipation all the children would stay put.
However, there are many plots sold that will never be used, because the family has moved on.
“After 50 years, if there’s been no action, we can redeem that plot,” Laufenburger said.
Currently, a single plot costs $400. The cemetery is a privately-owned non-profit, with nine board members. All its funds come from donations, and from selling plots.
How does Laufenburger keep his mind occupied as he’s spending hour after hour mowing 27 acres of lawn?
“John Kennedy and Orson Welles are buried out here,” Laufenburger said, pointing out names similar to ones you know. “Sometimes when I’m out here I’ll make up little stories about them.”
