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Feature article
Robert W. Chenoweth
913-371-4040

June 2, 2008

Special to Catholic Cemeteries magazine

Veterans’ section: Veterans Memorial
a winning combination in eastern Kansas
by Robert W. Chenoweth, Executive Director
Catholic Cemeteries of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties, Kansas

While the concept of the Veterans Memorial preceded the development of the veterans’ section at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, Kan., response to the designated area for veterans’ burials literally paved the way for the impressive monument. Dedicated on Memorial Day 2008, the new Veterans Memorial stands as testimony to men and women, living and deceased, who serve or have served in the Armed Services.
As impressive is the tremendous response to the availability of burial spaces designated for veterans in the space surrounding the memorial. In fact, cash flow from the sale of these burial spaces allowed us to proceed with construction of the Veterans Memorial and, when sales are completed, will have many times exceeded the cost of the memorial.

Development of Veterans Memorial

We identified the opportunity for a Veterans Memorial at the cemetery in late 2004. A former entrance on the east side of the cemetery had been closed and covered with dirt and grass, and the space was unused. This became the site for the proposed memorial with excellent visibility from the adjoining busy thoroughfare. We selected Cemetery Development Associates of Covington, La., to design the memorial. Plans were completed in early 2005.
Originally, we thought that people donating to have veterans’ names engraved on walls, paver bricks or bench seats would fund the memorial. In 2006, we produced promotional brochures to raise funds for the memorial. This effort was slow going. That year, the wall foundations were poured, and poles and flags installed.

Veterans’ section designated

With the extra land around the Veterans Memorial, we designated 352 spaces exclusively for veterans and their spouses. We publicized that the veteran’s space is available at no cost, but that the individual/family must pay for opening/closing, the vault and a setting fee for the marker provided by the U.S. government. The spouse can be buried in this section with the responsibility to pay the going rate for the space, vault and marker (similar to the government marker).
In 2007, the sale of the spaces for veterans and their spouses took off. Leavenworth National Cemetery is the closest military burial site, but we found that many veterans want to be buried closer to home and like the concept of a separate section and “free” space for veterans.
Revenue from spaces sold in the veterans’ section to date is over two times the cost of the Veterans Memorial. Final tally will be approximately five to six times the cost of the memorial.

Continued success

The wall foundations of the memorial were poured, and the granite ordered, etched and installed in 2007. As we began engraving names on the walls between the individual service monuments, this began to attract more interest in additional donations for this opportunity and in burial spaces in the veterans section.
This year, we have already had 22 burials in the special section; 166 of the 352 spaces are taken. Catholics have purchased 100 percent of the space.
The Veterans Memorial has quickly become a central attraction at Resurrection Cemetery.

Fast facts about the Veterans Memorial

• Features monuments to each of the five branches of the Armed Services. The black granite monuments have etched replicas of each service’s emblem.
• Flags of each branch of the service wave above the respective monuments. The flags are lighted 24/7, making this a particularly attractive site at night.
• Between the monuments are walls on which names of veterans can be engraved.
• A walkway of paver bricks leads to the patio and flagpole with the U.S. flag.
• The bricks can also be engraved to honor or memorialize veterans living or deceased.
• The Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann, archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas blessed and dedicated the memorial on Memorial Day, May 26, 2008.
• While Resurrection is a Catholic cemetery, the memorial is intended for veterans of all faiths and denominations and for the surrounding community.
• By Veterans Day (Nov. 11), the memorial will be expanded to include commemoration of the Merchant Marines of World War II, who have been given veteran status by an act of Congress.