Scott Shoup Chair

Larry DuPont Treasurer

Les Kotouch Secretary

Most cemeteries in our area are maintained with "hired help".  For the most part Rehoboth Cemetery is maintained by volunteers.  We pay to have our grass cut, but everything else is done by the "good guys" of the Cemetery Association.  Last week the entire cemetery was "trimmed" by "three good guys".  After they finished with the grass they even trimmed the blue spruces. 

Have you had time to check out the new pathway?  It’s not a road but a guide around the newer section of the cemetery.  It's mainly for guiding heavy vehicles that are involved in excavation or monument setting jobs.  Does that mean you can't drive your car on it?  You can, but with caution.  Since part of your car will be on the grass, be very careful when it's wet.  I don't want a cell phone call that you're stuck! We'll place rods in the ground that will show you side limits.

We have our water barrel in place.  It's near the maintenance shed.  It's leaking and may be empty when you go to use it!  Obviously, we have some changes to make in its design.

The "sunken road" is not sunken anymore!  We plan to let it stay "as is" for the summer and seed it in the fall.

We are planning to open a few new sites between the pathway and the road.  The cost will be $300 per site, and $1100 for a family (4) plot.  Our cremation plots are $150.  (All prices are doubled for non- church members).  I'd be glad to show you what is available, call me at 724-869-3837.

Our Cemetery Association oversees the operation of our cemetery. Not only does this group make all the management decisions concerning the cemetery, it primarily handles all the maintenance duties including general upkeep and lawn maintenance. Our church’s cemetery is administered by a committee of nine members. Members of this committee include: Jack Dewar, Larry DuPont, Scott Shoup, Don Musgrave, Royce Wilhelm, Les Kotouch, Chip DuPont, Rob Hicks, Rich Shoup, Kurt Sloppy, and Joshua Wolfson. Our council liaison is Rob Hicks. The exact title for this committee is “Rehoboth Church Cemetery Association”.

It’s a rather unique organization within the church in that most of its work is of a physical nature. Members of the association serve three years, and do most of the work within the cemetery. We pay a member of the committee to do all of our grass cutting. There’s an “outside contractor” who “digs the graves”. He is contacted and paid directly by the families of the deceased. Scott Shoup is committee president, with Larry DuPont as treasurer and Les Kotouch serving as secretary. After many years as the main force behind the cemetery, Don Musgrave is considering retirement. Gradually you’ll see the paper work of burial being handled by the committee’s secretary and the plot lay-outs by Rich and Scott Shoup. We usually have short, monthly meetings from April through November. We meet on the first Sunday of the month during the Coffee Hour. The committee tries to schedule at least one work day each month.

We are always looking for new members. If you have a desire to serve your church in this way, contact a committee member. Now is the time of the year (Nov-Dec) when committee nominations are due.

Lot prices for church members are $300 per single plot and $1,100 for a family plot (four graves). A cremation burial site is $150. For our non-member friends the costs are $600, $2,300 and $300. All these prices include our promise of “extended care”. For all your cemetery concerns, give our secretary a call at 724-869-3837.  

The Cemetery Committee recently met to set its agenda for 2008. Scott Shoup was appointed chairman, Larry DuPont was named treasurer, and Les Kotouch assumed the secretary’s duties. The committee will meet on the first Thursday of each month between April and October. The meeting time will be 6:30 PM. The third Thursday (at 6:00 PM) was designated as “work night”.

Our cemetery is located down the road from Rehoboth. This cemetery used to surround the original Rehoboth church building. Before that, it was the site of a Presbyterian church and cemetery. The oldest grave dates back to the 1840's. Several Civil War veterans are buried on the grounds. Walking through the cemetery is like taking a history lesson of our community. Many of the names you'll see on the monuments are names of streets and roads in Economy. Have you ever driven along mary Reed Road? Well, Mary Reed is buried in Rehoboth Cemetery. Mary Reed ran a "general store" in the Bradford Park are of the borough. Mary was buried in 1932. Maybe her sense of humor is reflected in the epitaph that is carved on her tombstone.

Our cemetery covers the site of two old “long-gone” churches. One was a Presbyterian and the other was the original Rehoboth Lutheran. In the past, cemetery committees divided the cemetery into two parts. The part around the old church sites was known as the “old cemetery” and the part closest to the water tanks was the “new cemetery”. There were even different regulations for each part. The current committee has combined both sections under the same regulations. Most of the burial plots that we will sell in the future will be in (what was) the new section. This area contains the most vacant space. However, plans are being made to “lay out some sites” in the older section. These sites will be near the entrance and to the right of the old Rehoboth Church. There’s a large, vacant area behind the “big maple” that we think was the site of the Presbyterian Church and some of it’s grave sites.

We maintain the church cemetery basically for our church members. Now would be a good time to consider purchasing an individual or family “plot” in the church’s cemetery. Some new areas will soon be "opened". For members, a single site is still $300 and a four grave site is $1,200. There’s a $100 discount for the purchase of a four grave family plot.  For non-church members the cost is $600, with the same $100 discount for a four grave plot.  We are developing sites for “cremation burials”.  These lots will cost $150 for church members and $300 for non-church members.  We can set-up payment plans for lots that are reserved.  However, lots must be paid in full before we can issue a deed and allow a burial.

The Cemetery Committee met October 11 for the season’s final clean-up.  It’s our policy to remove all annual summer flowers at this time.  We try not to disturb any artificial (including flags) or fall decorations.  Please help us by removing these decorations when they become unsightly.  Please use the trash barrels for discarding unwanted grave memorials.  If you have concerns about the care of a relative’s grave or need help planting or cleaning-up seasonal flowers, call the cemetery committee secretary, Les Kotouch at (724) 869-3837.

You can contact Les Kotouch at (724) 869-3827 for any of your cemetery concerns.

We are always looking for new members.  If you have a desire to serve your church in this way, contact a committee member.  Now is the time of the year when committee nominations are due (Nov-Dec). We usually have short, monthly meetings from April through November.  We meet on the first Sunday of the month during the Coffee Hour.  The committee tries to schedule at least one work day each month.

Rehoboth Evangelical Lutheran Church 2800 Conway Wallrose Road Baden, PA 15005 724.869.2806 church-office@rehobothlutheran.com

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