Contracts renewed for care of abandoned pioneer cemeteries

​YORK – The York County Commissioners have renewed contracts with two individuals who care for two abandoned pioneer cemeteries in York County.

​The contracts are revisited each spring.
One is the Cashler Union Cemetery, which is located along the Seward/York County border, right next to Interstate 80.
The other is the Zion Cemetery which is located in the middle of cornfields, about a half-mile off a county road, in the Arborville area.
Each of these cemeteries has been declared as abandoned – meaning they are not connected to any entity or church – and thereby, the county is responsible for making sure they are mowed at least two times a year.
Austin Johnson has been caring for the Zion Cemetery for a long time, along with family members. Jen Higginbotham has been caring for Cashler.
The county, by state statute, is allowed to spend up to $1,000 on each cemetery. The commissioners acknowledged how both caretakers do way more than just mow the cemeteries twice a year – and said they appreciate the dedication.
It was noted each of the cemeteries has its own nuances – access to Zion is much more difficult while Cashler is larger and gets more visitation.
When opening the mowing bids, they said Johnson was requesting the same amount as last year -- $900. Higgenbotham, they said, was requesting $800 but also was inquiring about another $1,800 to be used for repairing the gate and fencing.
“State statute limits what we can spend,” Commissioner Randy Obermier said. “As far as the repairs, I think we need to investigate that a little bit. And I think we need to set the fees the same. The cemetery Mr. Johnson cares for is a little harder to get to, but I think we need to set them both at $900.”
“Yes, state law says you can’t exceed $1,000 a year, and that includes for fencing and repairs,” said Deputy York County Attorney Chris Johnson.
The county board members agreed to set the amounts at $900 per cemetery.
It was noted how general fund dollars spent on these cemeteries cannot exceed $1,000 a year – however, private donations and other avenues could be pursued.