A beautiful spot

Unused space at Forest Hill Cemetery takes shape Bethany J. Royer Piqua Daily Call Originally published 11/4/13
PIQUA - Some years ago, a conversation began at Forest Hill Cemetery on St. Rt. 66 of !at "im Rot!, Forest Hill Cemetery s#$erinten%ent, states as all abo#t aste% s$ace. As !at !a% once been a $on% fille% in over time it! bac&-fill an% gravel -lea%ing to t!e $on%'s event#al %emise- an% t!#s ma&ing it #ns#itable for b#rial gro#n%, left a vacant s$ace at t!e base of a !ill overloo&e% by (inear Par& an% t!e canal. )Ho can e #tili*e t!is+) contin#e% Rot!. )Ho can e ma&e t!is area somet!ing everyone can en,oy+ -!en e came #$ it! t!e i%ea abo#t a labyrint!.) .e meant Forest Hill Cemetery staff incl#%ing Rot!, /everly Collett, b#siness manager, an% 0an Poast, %irector of !ortic#lt#re, !o began to $ool i%eas s#c! as a gar%en it! flo ers an% trees, along it! a al&, t!at as event#ally follo e% by ins$iration after a visit to t!e C!a% ic& Arboret#m at 1!io State University - a labyrint! at t!e center of a cremation gar%en. .!at is a labyrint!+ As %escribe% in a letter by Poast, a labyrint! is a single ma*e-li&e $at! #se% for me%itation t!at also re$resents a ,o#rney to one's o n center, !ile remar&ing, )-!is is a bea#tif#l s$ot2 e nee% to %o somet!ing s$ecial !ere.) /ringing Casto (an%sca$ing, of Pi3#a, on boar%, t!e 45-foot labyrint! ma%e of bric& $avers finally began to ta&e s!a$e over a $erio% of t o ee&s t!is fall an% it! only a fe minor to#c!es yet to be ma%e, s#c! as a circ#lar $iece of blac& granite at t!e center it! an inscri$tion. -!e com$letion coinci%e% $erfectly it! last ee&'s Pi3#a Hig! Sc!ool S$eec! an% 0rama Cl#b $resenting 6%gar (ee 7asters' )S$oon River Ant!ology) at t!e location. )It ent real ell, t!ey !a% ell over a !#n%re% $eo$le,) sai% Rot! of t!e $erformance, !ile e8$laining t!e labyrint! an% cremation gar%en is all $art of an ongoing $rocess, it! t!e ne8t big item or finis!ing to#c! to be t!e C!ristmas /o8 Angel stat#e. -!e angel stat#e, 9 feet tall it! a ings$an of : feet, is base% #$on a#t!or Ric!ar% Pa#l 6vans' best-selling boo&, )-!e C!ristmas /o8) an% is a symbol of !o$e an% !ealing to t!ose !o visit t!e ;;< C!ristmas /o8 Angels of Ho$e aro#n% t!e orl%. Create% in a fo#n%ry in Salt (a&e City, Uta!, an% ma%e of bron*e, t!e angel's face is base% #$on one of t!e %a#g!ters of t!e stat#e's %esigner an% any inscri$tion may be $lace% on t!e granite $e%estal. -!an&s to !el$ from $#blic %onations, Rot! estimates t!ey've =>,555 yet to go of t!e f#ll =?5,555 t!at covers everyt!ing from t!e angel's commission to trans$ortation an% installment at t!e ne labyrint! an% cremation gar%ens. .it! t!e $e%estal alrea%y financially bac&e% by a local com$any, an% t!e !o$e to !ave t!e remaining

f#n%s for a s$ringtime %e%ication. ).e are al ays loo&ing for more %onations,) sai% Rot! in regar%s to t!e monies still nee%e%. )An% more o$$ort#nity in f#n%-raising areas.) -!e angel ill come it! a QR @3#ic& res$onseA barco%e t!at ill allo visitors to scan it! t!eir smart$!one an% listen to a song, it! granite benc!es to be $lace% near t!e angel's event#al $osition a fe feet a ay -an% loo&ing over- from t!e labyrint!. ).e're $ro#% of t!e fact t!at it! t!e angel an% t!e labyrint! - it ill be a very #ni3#e t!ing, no ot!er cemetery !as t!ose t o combine% t!at e &no of,) e8$laine% Rot!, it! t!e labyrint! al ays o$en an% al ays free. )Come, $ar& yo#r car, ta&e a little al& an% en,oy t!e cemetery.) .!y visit t!e cemetery+ )-!ere's $eo$le every !ere,) sai% Rot! of t!e many in%ivi%#als !o ta&e a%vantage of t!e <-miles of $ave% roa% insi%e Forest Hill Cemetery. ).e're very e8cite% abo#t t!at, $eo$le are al&ing, bicycling.) -!ere's !istory at Forest Hill Cemetery from g!ost riter an% a#t!or of t o 1* boo&s, "o!n F. Sno , to !eavy eig!t bo8er (#t!er '(#te' 7cCarty, an% also bea#ty, !et!er t!e mon#ments, masole#m, or some ?,555 %affo%ils $lante% on t!e !illsi%e. ).e ant $eo$le to come to t!e cemetery, not only beca#se 't!at's !ere my love% one is b#rie%' b#t come to ta&e in all its bea#ty,) e8$laine% Rot!. )It's a !istory of yo#r comm#nity, an% e ant to contin#e t!at $rocess of ma&ing it nice, clean an% comfortable for $eo$le to come an% en,oy.)