Beneficiant donation from Natchez native will imply new barn for metropolis cemetery

Revealed 7:00 am Saturday, August 27, 2022

NATCHEZ — The Natchez Cemetery Affiliation has acquired a donation of $400,000 to assemble a brand new barn facility.

Grace Augusta Manning died Aug. 12, 2020, at her house in Dallas. She was born in Natchez in 1927.

Manning left the donation to the cemetery affiliation, specifying or not it’s used to assemble a brand new barn.

The cemetery’s present barn is roughly 100 years previous, and is the one house to shelter cemetery employees. Along with storage of cemetery tools, employees use it for his or her meal breaks, as nicely.

The Metropolis Cemetery is the property of the Metropolis of Natchez, however is wholly managed and operated by the organizational entity, the Natchez Cemetery Affiliation. The affiliation’s board of administrators consists of 24 members.

Cemetery board president, Terry Stutzman, and board member, Liz Dantone, mentioned the donation and plans for its use at Tuesday night’s assembly of the mayor and board of aldermen.

“Manning was a extremely fascinating woman,” Stutzman mentioned. “She was profitable in her enterprise endeavors and had a love for the cemetery. She was at all times fascinated about doing issues for the cemetery, and needed to do extra. We’re so grateful for her generosity and have been completely stunned by this excellent donation.”

As a result of the cemetery is an historic landmark, town’s preservation fee will probably be charged with approving the design and plans for the brand new barn. These designs are simply starting at Waycaster and Associates.

No actual timeline has been set, however Stutzman mentioned hopes are development may start within the spring of 2023 and the brand new barn be accomplished by October 2023, in time for the November 2023 presentation of Angels on the Bluff.

“The previous barn goes to stay,” Dantone mentioned. “It has to proceed to perform whereas the brand new barn is beneath development and earlier than we transfer.

“After a transfer into the barn constructing, then we anticipate one other challenge sooner or later to protect and restore the unique upkeep barn. There might grow to be a special use for that constructing, which is an thrilling thought,” she mentioned.

The upkeep and operation of town cemetery was transferred to the Natchez Cemetery Affiliation in 1908. What started as 10 acres now encompasses 100 acres.

The aldermen endorsed the challenge Tuesday night time.