Minutes for the Joint Meeting of Selectmen and Cemetery Trustees
Held on July 11, 2011 @ Town Hall at 6 p.m.
Selectmen present: Larry Ladd and Tim Brooks. Others: Patty Summers, Ron Connary (Cemetery Trustee), Charles Goulet, (Cemetery Trustee), Gwen Paquette (second wife), Gary Paquette (brother), Red LePine (former gravedigger), Stanley Marshall (gravedigger), William Zanes (former cemetery trustee), Chuck Stinson (former cemetery trustee); others: Brauer, Rose Connary, Scott, Ruch, DeLalla
Meeting called to order at 6 p.m. by Larry Ladd, Chair.
Joint Selectmen/Cemetery Trustees Meeting Portion
Each of the parties to the Baldwin Cemetery issue related to the Gwen Paquette lot were asked to state their positions.
Gwen – Discussed history of problem (headstone on wrong lot, unclear lot designation, urn placed at “bow” tree, various digging by Normandeau’s, probing by cemetery trustees). The whereabouts of urn remains an unknown. She continues to believe it was located near the “bow” tree near the road. Site was excavated in both “bow” lot and lot beneath; nothing found. Looked at the headstone and excavated; nothing found; she had placed the urn herself. It was about 2 ˝ feet. She heard that Gary thought it was as deep as the headstone but it was not found when the headstone was excavated last Friday. The headstone was removed. The “bow” tree was dug down to 4 x 8 x 3 ˝ feet deeper; the site below it was dug down to 4’. Nothing found. She is wondering if it is at the left of the headstone. It was dug 30 x 30 but did not find it. She does not believe the urn is here at all. She does not remember the slate headstones. She still thinks it was at the tree by the bow. Her sons agree on the location. She had decided he is not here.
Brooks – who buried the urn?
Gwen – there was a downpour at about 9 am; 25-30 people came up before the family reunion. On Sunday, the grave was already covered. She does not know who buried it
Zanes – does not remember location of actual lot or who buried it.
Gary – before the hole was dug for the headstone, he and Zanes looked for the site. He expected the urn to be at the foot of the lower site but it is not there now. The family left to go to Roger’s campground and no one went back.
Marshall – he went back that evening, not Sunday, to bury the site, but it had already been buried. It was not dug to the four foot level. Red LePine told him the size should be 2 ˝ feet deep because it was hard to dig deeper.
Gwen – she talked to Paul Desjardins and it is a felony to remove the remains of an individual. She will be looking at whether to depose individuals to get the theft on record.
Connary – the sod was put back in the right spot when the urn was buried—someone had to have a shovel handy to bury the site.
Gwen – Normandeau said stones in the past had been thrown over the bank by angry relatives; she was wondering if this could be looked at when the brush died back.
LePine – he would like to look for the urn; he has a lot of experience.
Goulet – did she buy the site? Yes, via perpetual care. Was she given or did she know the dimensions?
Gwen – she did not know because it was not provided to her by Zanes.
LePine – the sizes are unclear. He will go with Connary and Gwen tonight to look at it.
Gary – Baldwin was taken over during 1996/97 when he was in office.
Goulet – other records on Baldwin. No.
Gary – the family at the reunion this year was shocked to learn of the situation.
Gwen – she talked to Bardy (brother). She was Nelson’s second wife. He had three sons who don’t like her. The daughter gets along with her ok. Bardy asked if the sons could have removed it. She stated that the family is fundamentalist Baptist and didn’t think so. The first wife is alive.
Gary – the first wife was at the funeral. He recalled at the grave site, the Gwen ducked under the little bush.
Gwen – She is looking for closure for the daughter and others, for the family, for herself; her husband would have liked something good to come out of the situation. She prefers the site she has been coming to visit, not the headstone site. The headstone needs to be put back in place. The lot needs to be laid out. It needs to be plotted. It could be moved toward the N. Stratford edge a little bit. The corner was not excavate and would like to see it done. She would like to site the headstone on the proper space close to the bow tree. In the fall, she would like to have the bank area checked out. Legally she wants to file a missing body report, a theft of body report. She will not walk away from this. Plots to be marked with temporary markers. Wants to see detailed bylaws. Should sign in to uncover, cover graves. Need accountability.
LePine – there was no funeral director? No.
Gwen – He died in 2003; he was kept until 2005 when we had a family reunion and the remains were interred.
LePine – if found, put in the right place with the headstone. Rocks not usually put back.
Gwen – she owns the plot. She makes the decisions. She will have corner posts installed. The headstone is with Normandeau.
Goulet – enough room? Unclear.
Goulet/Connary motion to end joint cemetery at 6:50.
Note: The following went to the cemetery: Summers, Gwen, Ron Connary, Rose Connary, Goulet, LePine, Zanes, Marshall. The site visit lasted close to an hour. Various positions were again restated. Some temporary staking occurred.
Recorded by PSummers