Oakwood Cemetery Receives Support from Local Business
The first public cemetery in Niagara County, Oakwood Cemetery, is receiving assistance from a local business, M&T Bank.
“Not everybody thinks about the cemetery or helping out at the cemetery, so it’s great to have volunteers and get people in here and see the other side of it,” said Michael Baxter, director of operations at Oakwood Cemetery.
Earlier this year, Oakwood Cemetery faced a challenge when one of their two lawn mowers broke down, leaving them with only one mower to maintain their 18.5-acre grounds. M&T Bank’s Charitable Foundation stepped in with a $15,000 donation to purchase an additional mower.
“The additional mower is going to let us get twice the amount of work done and really keep the grounds the way they should be,” Baxter noted.
Lucy Muto, vice president and commercial branch manager at M&T Bank, expressed their commitment: “We’re stepping in to try to do our part to help them continue to be good stewards of the cemetery.”
On Thursday, M&T Bank volunteers helped with raking leaves at the cemetery.
While cemetery maintenance may seem endless, Baxter and community members emphasize its importance:
“It’s our history. It’s everybody that’s been a part of the city, the expansion, the growth. The daredevils, the stories with everything. It all comes back to here, and you only really get to hear them here when you see the stones and you go through the whole process,” Baxter said.
Mayor Robert Restaino echoed this sentiment: “It’s amazing just to walk through, and the names jump out at you. The names jump out at you, either as a result of a building that’s been named after someone or streets that are named after people.”