Tarkio Home Cemetery

During the Memorial Day holiday, I visit nine cemeteries. Two have gates that are easily opened at any time (gates are closed, but not locked). The other seven have no gates at all. Why does Tarkio Home Cemetery have to have a locked gate at all times?

This month, there was a private family burial at Home Cemetery. Even though it was private, the family had asked the local legion to provide an Honor Guard service during the burial. The legionnaires traveled to the cemetery via the 6th Street entrance, but had to turn around when they got to the locked gate.

Donna Payne

Tarkio Home Cemetery Board members and anyone who locks the northeast gate – Are we seriously still having to have this discussion? I understand that there is still an entry point available on the southwest side to those wanting to visit the cemetery, but that is the most dangerous as it sits on the highway and does not provide safe access for anyone not in a vehicle and requires law enforcement to stop traffic for funeral processions entering that way. There’s no logical explanation of why ANY gate is being locked at the cemetery, especially during daylight hours. People visit the cemetery to pay their respects to their loved ones, reminisce about good times, spruce up their family members’ stones, or to just enjoy the extremely beautiful and scenic location, not cause trouble. I’ve never once seen any large trucks driving through that could possibly tear up the roads, except the grave digger’s truck (and I would know because I lived next to the cemetery for many years). Nor have I ever encountered any partiers out there littering or destroying property. I’m not saying those things don’t ever happen, but if they do they are few and far between. I know in the big scheme of things, a locked cemetery gate might be a small priority to you, but to those who regularly visit the cemetery and can’t use that entry point and to those who live nearby who have to deal with vehicles turning around in their yards or driveways when they can’t gain entry that way, it becomes a problem. Because I live in Tarkio and work for the newspaper, I know for a fact this is not the first time, nor the second and so on that this situation has not only been addressed publicly, but board members have also been contacted personally. When the complaints once again “make the news,” the gates go unlocked for awhile. But then once the dust settles, the lock is clicked closed once more. Please keep the locks off and BOTH gates open indefinitely. We – as a community – would be forever grateful.

Megan McAdams