The Cochran Cemetery Association held a spaghetti dinner last Saturday to raise money for cemetery maintenance.
(ABOVE) Kitchen volunteers included: Kathleen Wilkinson, Lisa Slagle, Jim Butler, Mariah Master, Cameron Master, Jim Cochran, Renee John, and Sharon Fox.
(BELOW) Servers and other volunteers were: (front) Amy Crissman, Travis Crissman, (back) Leonard Cochran, Heidi Gahagan, Dawn Enterline, Roger Master, and Charly King.
The event was held in the fellowship hall of the First Church of God in Templeton. Amy Crissman was in charge of fundraising.
“In 1990, gas (prices) was low and interest was high. So the money they had to start with and was invested was drawing enough interest (at that time) to pay for their yearly upkeep of the mowing. Now gas is up and interest is down and we need help to keep up with the mowing. If you have years like this year with all the rain, we had to mow every week instead of every other week and that doubles the expense.”
Crissman said it takes about $5,000 per season to keep the cemetery mowed based on doing it every two weeks.
“We will have other fundraisers. We have some money and its invested. But we are trying to be proactive so it doesn’t run out. What we are paying out yearly is not what we are bringing in.”
In addition to salad, spaghetti and meatballs, there were eight tables filled with homemade desserts.
“I have been extremely blessed with the amount of help that has showed up here today, especially since a lot of these people were out of power for several days. But look at (the donation of all) the desserts. God has blessed us with all these people! We have a giving community.”