GREEN RIVER — Volunteers were busy at the Riverview Cemetery Wednesday morning to help unload and place the new veteran columbarium.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 2321 and the American Legion Tom Whitmore Post 28 have been collecting donations for the new columbarium for veterans since last year. The area in the cemetery dedicated to veterans is running out of space and the columbarium has been a necessity to ensure veterans will have a place for their cremains.
The $36,000 columbarium, which was paid for by donations, is 96 niches. VFW Commander Jim Shoemaker told the Green River City Council in October 2022 that they can place two urns in one of those niches, which will save space for other burials in the veteran plots.
“[It’s] extremely important. The veterans field in the cemetery will eventually fill,” Tom Niemiec, Commander of the American Legion Tom Whitmore Post 28, said. “This columbarium will extend the years until the veterans field fills up.”
Niemiec said they have another columbarium on order as well. He gave a “huge thanks” to everyone who helped make this columbarium happen. He said many great local businesses donated, the City of Green River helped support the cause, and Bunning Crane and Norton Trucking donated their resources and services.
