Laurel Hill Cemetery Serves Vital Role In Neligh Community

The history of the Neligh community is just north of town, holding early Antelope County settlers and pioneers and generations of local families.  

​A cemetery is a vital amenity for any community, but for Neligh, it may be one that is not first thought about.

Neligh Cemetery Board President Keith White explained why it is such a vital amenity.

"It is a very necessary part of the community. It is the last place anybody is going to be in the community," White said. "It's important for Neligh to have a cemetery that is well-maintained and has a nice appearance."

White said they are looking for people to serve on the cemetery board, especially someone to serve as the secretary.

"As a board, our biggest responsibilities are to maintain the grounds and have to raise funds to carry out maintenance," White said.  "Our challenge is that mowing and maintenance costs five times as much today as it did ten years ago." 

Neligh Cemetery Board Treasurer Kathy Sauser said one of their unique challenges that the Laurel Hill cemetery faces is that it is not publicly funded. 

"Ownership is within the association of lot owners," Sauser said.  

The board carries out fundraisers to cover expenses of mowing and maintenance.  Over the past eight years, they have done three fundraisers in which they have been able to refinish curbs and some of the roads as well. 

Outside of serving on the board, there are several ways to be involved with Laurel Hill and the Neligh Cemetery Association.

White said the Neligh Cemetery Board is still currently taking bids for mowing this year.

Sauser said there will be a clean-up day in mid-April as well.

Neligh Cemetery Association Superintendent Andy Beyer said the VFW and the American Legion with the help of boy scouts put up flags on Memorial day, and 4-H clubs help with clean up afterwards.

"There is also opportunities to adopt a grave, making sure someone put flowers on it.  There are plenty of graves up there that don’t have family in the area," Beyer said.

"You never realize how important it is to have a cemetery until you have someone buried there," Beyer said.

People who are interested in becoming more involved with Laurel Hill or serving on the board can contact Keith White at 402-887-5142 or Kathy Sauser at 402-887-5324.

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