The United Steelworkers union donated $2,000 to the VFW to help with their columbarium project. From left to right: Mark Anderson, head of Steelworkers donations; VFW Commander Jim Shoemaker; VFW member Paul Doty; VFW District Commander Earl McDonald; Steelworkers president Andy Martinez.
When it comes to honoring and serving veterans in the community, the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post and American Legion Tom Whitmore 28 continually find ways to rise to the occasion. One of the current ways these organizations are working to honor veterans is by raising funds to put a new columbarium for veterans in Riverview Cemetery.
"On Memorial Day we put out 350 to 400 flags for all our veterans," VFW Commander Jim Shoemaker explained.
While veterans are buried throughout the cemetery, the VFW has a plot in the cemetery which the city donated to the organization in 1931.
The problem is, after 91 years, the portion of the cemetery reserved for veterans is running out of space.
"We have 50 to 55 plots left," Shoemaker said.
One reason space is running out is because some of the plots are going to veterans who were cremated, Shoemaker explained. Even though cremains only take up three square feet, and the plots are much larger than the space needed, nothing else can be put in a ground plot with cremains.
Building a columbarium, which is a structure specifically designed for storing funeral urns, would provide more space in the cemetery for veterans who are cremated and leave more plots available for veterans who are buried. The columbarium the VFW hopes to put at the cemetery would have 96 niches for urns. Each niche could also hold two urns for veterans whose spouses are cremated and wish to be buried with them.
Putting a columbarium for veterans at the cemetery is something Shoemaker and Earl McDonald, the VFW District Commander, have wanted to do for nearly 10 years. However, the funds were not available in the past. Shoemaker explained the VFW has a general fund, which goes toward supporting veterans, including veterans traveling through the area who need help with food, gas or anything else. The general fund hasn't had enough money to go toward the columbarium project as well, so Shoemaker decided, with the support of the VFW members, to create a separate account specifically for the columbarium.
The goal for the columbarium funds is to raise $30,000. While some work has been done, with a cement pad donated by Sunroc and already poured at the cemetery, just getting the columbarium to the cemetery will cost about $2,700, according to Shoemaker, and inflation could add additional costs.
The VFW currently has about one tenth of their funding goal, much of which is thanks to a recent $2,000 donation from the local United Steelworkers union. Shoemaker explained he was a part of the Steelworkers union when he worked at the trona mine when it was owned by FMC, and the union regularly supports the VFW. The Steelworkers usually donate $500 to packages for the troops - a project the VFW hasn't been able to do during the COVID-19 pandemic. So Shoemaker expected a similar donation to the columbarium project. When the union voted on the donation, and a woman in the crowd suggested donating $2,000, Shoemaker said he and McDonald's jaws dropped.
Other money will come to the VFW for the columbarium this week. Tom Niemic, the American Legion Post 28 commander, said some of the proceeds from the post's recent "Music for the Vets" event will be given to the VFW for the project, according to Shoemaker.
While these funds are a good start, raising the $30,000 necessary for the columbarium will take more time and generosity. Shoemaker and the VFW are asking for donations to make the columbarium a reality.
"I want to make this a community project," Shoemaker said.
Donations, which are tax deductible, can be made directly to Trona Valley Federal Credit Union, where an account is set up specifically for the columbarium.
Those who wish to donate can directly contact Trona Valley by calling (307) 875-9800, or can reach out to Shoemaker.
"Whoever wants to donate - $5, $10, it all helps," Shoemaker said. "$1,000," he added with a laugh.
Shoemaker hopes the columbarium funds can be raised so the VFW can get the structure installed and continue to honor veterans in the cemetery.
"We're just doing our best for our veterans," Shoemaker said. "That's all we can do."
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