NewsCovering Colorado

Actions

Colorado Springs historic cemetery prepping for Memorial Day

Posted at 7:54 PM, May 24, 2024

COLORADO SPRINGS — Most of the staff at local cemeteries spend Memorial Day Weekend working.

They are also extra busy in the weeks leading up to it.

“Every machine that somebody operates and every trimmer and everything that we do is all to honor someone,” said Evergreen Cemetery Manager, Cheryl Godbout.

Evergreen is the legacy cemetery in Colorado Springs.

It is one of the oldest in the state.

It dates back to the 1870s.

“There's a lot of a lot of people here to remember, including General William Jackson Palmer himself who's buried right behind the chape,” said Godbout.

General Palmer is the founder of Colorado Springs.

There are now close to 90,000 graves at the cemetery.

“We have people here that have generations of 5,6,7 generations that are buried here.”

Prepping tens of thousands of gravesites requires weeks of work.

“They haven't invented anything better than a mower and a weed whacker,” said Godbout, “And it takes it takes a little army to do it.”

It is everyday work with a greater purpose displayed on Memorial Day.

___



A local swimmer is heading to Indianapolis for the Olympic swim trials

Madi Mintenko, an incoming senior at Pine Creek High School, has received an invitation to participate in the Olympic swim trials in Indianapolis.

Colorado Springs high schooler competes to get on Olympics swim team

News Tips
What should KOAA5 cover? Is there a story, topic, or issue we should revisit? Have a story you believe should make the light of day? Let our newsroom know with the contact form below.

____

Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.