I received the following information from Wayne Rettke about Concordia Cemetery, and he wanted me to pass it on to the NYERIE mail list: You had asked some questions about Concordia I have been on Concordias' board for the last five years we continue to fight the problems of apathy and lack of volunteers. We have righted and reset close to 500 markers, replaced the missing iron work and signs, installed lot index posts, created plot maps and tried to maintain the grounds as best we can without city or state funding. I have sent letters to at least fifty churches and community organizations, I've contacted the Lutheran and Evangelical founding churches. I've asked for youth groups to help us, all to no avail. Many people think the Cemetery is an obligation of the Churches, this has not been the case for over forty years. You having people here must be aware of the changes to the neighborhood. I fully understand why we can't get volunteers, we have five core volunteers who are burning out. This part of Buffalo has and is undergoing a lot of problems with arson and crimes to persons. It is nonetheless difficult to walk away from the cemetery, I myself have sixty one family members buried there and feel their plots need to be cared for. Concordia has no space for new burials therefore no sales. We have reserved plots already paid for years ago. Our only income is through search fees and by surviving families paying lot fees of 15.00 per year per grave or 30.00 per family plot. Although we have over 15,000 graves very few of these fees are paid. Each cutting of our 15 acres is close to 1,000. We do have a group of United Way volunteers scheduled for August 19 and hope to get some of the problem areas caught up. I know it's a rather gloomy update, but we hope to make it past this recession Thank you again Wayne Rettke Concordia Cemetery Assn po box 1773 Amherst, NY 14226