Dear editor,

ROSE – The Franklin Township Trustees and members of the Livingston Cemetery Association est. in 1915, decided to restore the Livingston Cemetery after receiving memorial funds from a local family. This project started in 1998 and continued on to the clearing of the long abandoned church and school lots. This area was to be new cemetery burial space for our community.

THISTLE – A local attorney did some legal work to convey the church and school ground to the Township Trustees. However, after this foundation was formed, the legal advisor and founder thought the foundation could take it away from the community because he felt the QCD was a nullity.

ROSE – We were presuming that the Township Trustees, Cemetery Association and this foundation would work together to maintain what this community group had already done to bring; this Livingston area back to a beautiful, country cemetery. Other projects were suggested at the start of the foundation but there was no land for them, either.

THISTLE – This community approved starting this foundation in Nov. 2003 on good faith and trust, with no legal papers signed. The foundation had no land on which to build a new museum or bring in another old school building. When no legal papers were signed stating the full intentions of this project, we ended up in a large law suit. Learn from our mistakes.

ROSE – Many people volunteered and donated man hours, tractors, seeding equipment, bull dozers, trucks, 28 loads of dirt and funds to help in this restoration project before the foundation started. They are the heroes of the Livingston area project.

THISTLE – The foundation requested a survey of the Livingston area in early 2004 but it was never paid for as it did not show the boundary lines to be where they hoped. The land owner to the north did not gift 20 acres and to the west of the church, that land owner felt he owned to the middle of the little old road. The land owner to the south did not care to gift or sell her property. A 2nd higher price was offered for that piece of ground but the the Board knew nothing about the 2nd offer.

ROSE – Compliments from the many families who have come to the Livingston area for funerals and at Memorial Day, to the people who are responsible for a job well done, in restoring the whole Livingston area.

THISTLE – In late 2005, before the 2nd Annual Meeting, the Foundation's advisor wanted the Board to take out a $100,000.00 insurance policy on the old church building. There was never approval for the policy, the amount to be paid, the treasurer to write the check or the president removing funds from the checking account to pay the bill.

ROSE – to be continued.

Diana Royer

Livingston Cemetery Association Member