8135 North Dixie Drive
Dayton, OH 45414
937-890-1831
Click here to contact: info@daytonmemorialpark.com
Dayton, OH 45414
937-890-1831
Click here to contact: info@daytonmemorialpark.com
Tornado Update - 7.2.19
Thanks to a lot of help from our friends, Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery is beginning to look much better. Some of the most recent assistance came from the Butler Township street crew. For two days the township furnished three dump trucks and three drivers to haul away our tree debris. Over 60 loads of tree limbs and trunks were taken to the county stockpile area. This assistance saved a great deal of money as Dayton Memorial Park would have had to pay for this to be removed.
On a disappointing note, we have been informed that we do not qualify for FEMA money and the tree removal prior to the township's help had exhausted all of tree removal insurance money allowed by our policy!
As the debris was being removed there were still several trees that needed cut up and removed from the interior of some sections. Out of the blue, we were contacted by a Disaster Response Team from a church in Miamisburg (things were happening so fast I did not catch what church, sorry) who were fully trained and equipped chainsaw operators. They brought 11 people who cut, hauled and dragged off nearly everything that remained on the sections! This was perfect timing as we took these piles and loaded them on the trucks to be removed. I cannot express how much we appreciate everyone's continued support. Thank you!
E.F. Nickol's continues to reset the toppled monuments; they have fixed 144 of the approximate 175 so far. They are kindly fitting this project into their schedule when they are not delivering monuments to all of their other customers. Those monuments that remain down are in the areas that are most difficult access due to soil conditions. If this month's weather is like a typical July, we should be able to finish soon.
Turf repair will take place over the long term. There are areas where trees were uprooted, spots where debris was driven into the ground and spots where even with the most careful use of turf protection composite boards, some equipment caused turf damage. Our soil conditioning machine was severely damaged by the tornado so we are unable to process soil to start repairing these areas at this time.
Thanks for your continued understanding and support!
On a happier note, stop by and take a look at the gold fish that have recently hatched in the small upper pond north of the entrance bridge.
Community Thank You
As you are aware, the southwest corner of Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery was severely damaged by one of the 21 tornadoes that struck the Greater Dayton area on the evening of Monday, May 27, 2019, Memorial Day. Earlier that day, hundreds of individuals visited Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery to pay their respects to friends and family members laid to rest here.
The following morning we had no choice but to close the Cemetery, for safety reasons, due to the large amount of debris on the ground and caught in trees. It became apparent very quickly that given the catastrophic damage and tremendous amount of debris deposited by the tornado we needed to reach out to the owners of the cemetery and the entire community for assistance.
As a not for profit organization, Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery is owned by the families who own plots here. Local community members are elected by these owners to serve on the Board of Trustees and in turn, the Trustees employ the General Manager and all other staff. It was only logical that we would reach out to the families as they are likely most concerned about the condition of the Cemetery and ultimately, to the entire community for assistance.
To our amazement, over 500 volunteers answered the call to pitch in. The Vandalia/Butler Chamber of Commerce lent a big helping hand by supplying and cooking, a hot dog and hamburger lunch for all.
We would also like to recognize the following local businesses that also showed their community spirit by donating many items: Lowes, North Dixie Hardware, and Cintas for several hundred pairs of gloves and Sam’s Club for 500 bottles of water and 2 cases of trash bags.
The Board of Directors and Staff at Dayton Memorial Park would like to extend our most sincere thanks to all of those individuals who showed up for this unexpected tragedy and proved to the entire nation that we are “Dayton Strong.”
See our Gold Fish!
Please Support Our Special Projects!
Detailed Projects Letter
Donor Card
Flag Poles to Honor our Veterans Project: Section 22, needs Larger/Taller Flag Poles to replace the smaller/shorter flag poles now in existence. With your help, we can accomplish this goal sooner rather than later.
Section Identification Signage Project: We find that each generation is interested in their family/loved ones' burial sites. Our section identification signage is nearly non-existent or is badly in need of replacement. This identification signage helps all of our Cemetery supporters locate their loved ones. With your help, we can expedite this Section Identification Signage replacement project which will benefit everyone. Stop by our office to see a sample of the section identification signage or to chat with our staff about supporting this important project.
For more information contact:
Dayton Memorial Park at 937.890.1831 or info@daytonmemorialpark.com
