DeBorgia Cemetery columbarium dedication set for Aug. 11
Ellen Matz displays a headstone at the DeBorgia Cemetery. A group of volunteers have worked hard to refurbish the cemetery and recently installed a columbarium. (Photo courtesy Ellen Matz)
Unless you are specifically looking for it, the DeBorgia Cemetery isn’t on most people’s radar.
But this 1.5 acre resting place is well kept with an underground sprinkler system that works like a champ unless a grave digger or Mother Nature snaps a line (the cemetery lost 5 giant trees in the February windstorm, but the maintenance crew has it back to looking beautiful).
This system was mostly paid for by volunteers giving coffee and cookies for donations at rest stops over the years, which is an indication that this is a treasured part of the West End community.
The earliest known grave dates back to 1905 among the 215 that are known buried there. That includes including 15 unknowns, 41 veterans from the Spanish American War forward to the Gulf War, one former Montana senator and four memorials with no remains.
How did the DeBorgia Cemetery ever come to be along the John Mullan Road, especially that long ago?
DeBorgia and Henderson were very populated towns due to the Henderson mine and logging camps. Cabin City at one time had 3,000 residents.
A bit farther west, Taft, once known as the most dangerous town in America, had enough business for their own cemetery.
Today, Ellen Matz is the chairman of the board of the cemetery.
Carola Jackson, Debbie Fontaine, Mark Waseen and Stephanie Todd round out the board with Ricky Weaver as the Maintenance Superintendent.
The revitalization project began in 2009 as the cemetery was in sad shape and the locals knew it was up to them to make the changes.
Over the last 12 years, through countless hours of volunteer service, community donations and fundraisers, they were able to replace the underground sprinkler system, get a lighted flagpole, new rail fencing and gates, an entry arch, a storage shed, a map kiosk, row markers, stone markers for unmarked graves and the columbarium.
They also had a University of Montana graduate student project that used magnetic equipment to locate formerly unknown graves.
Long, tiring and frustrating detective work have yielded as accurate as possible record keeping.
“We have had numerous compliments from old West End families about how wonderfully it has been restored," Matz said. "Between 2009 and approximately 2015 we barely averaged one burial per year. Since it’s restoration we have averaged two to three per year. Families are again proud to inter their loved ones there."
But the group was recently beset by some bad news.
Their riding lawn mower was stolen around July 23. “It’s a John Deere X304 and we discovered it missing when Ricky went to mow the cemetery. The shed was broken into, and the mower carted off," Matz said. "We have offered a $500 reward for return of the mower or information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator. Unfortunately, we know have to return to locking the gates full time.”
Fortunately, they also have good news to share.
A new columbarium is going to be dedicated to a loved and respected West Ender who was a gem.
“Shirley Garr was one of our earliest board members after the revitalization in 2009. She was an incredibly hard worker and devoted many volunteer hours to the cemetery and the fundraisers besides being heavily involved in many West End civic activities.
"She had boundless energy and was lost suddenly to a heart attack and we miss her greatly,” Matz said.
The West End ATV Club donated a bronze plaque which will be unveiled at the dedication at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11.
"We so encourage everyone to attend. Not only in Shirley’s honor but to see how the cemetery looks with the new columbarium as plots are available to residents of Cemetery District 3 and their immediate family,” she said.
To get to the cemetery, take Exit 18 off Interstate 90 and drive one mile east on the frontage road where you’ll see the entry arch on the left side of the road.