New memorial wall installed at Palmer Pioneer Cemetery

PALMER— Denny Hamann recently finished his major summer project with some support from the community, a new memorial wall made of black granite at the Palmer Pioneer Cemetery.

The new wall is located near the entrance. There are nearly 240 spaces available with just a handful of spots spoken for. It stands to the right of another memorial wall that ran out of room.

“We looked at it and said, ‘well, now what do we do?’ and the bottom line was we were gonna have to build another one,” Hamann said with a laugh.

Hamann is the current president of the Palmer Pioneer Cemetery nonprofit organization that own and operate the historical lot. He joined the board 10 years ago because he felt like this type of work needed to be done.

“It’s a beautiful little cemetery and I’d like to keep it that way,” Hamann said.

The board sets aside a certain amount of money to hire local contractors to upkeep the grounds.

Hamann said that he had a $10,000 budget to build the new wall. He also had some help from locals across the Mat-Su Valley. He said that numerous people donated their time, labor and resources to help make the new wall a reality. He said that he was grateful for their assistance.

The new wall is a black, blank slate. It’s empty for now, unlike the old wall next to it. Names from numerous colonial families were etched into the gray stone, including Hamann’s grandparents.

Gretchen and Leroy Hamann were part of the original colony of settlers that founded Palmer and the surrounding Valley. Over 80 years later, their names and legacy have not been forgotten. Their grandson works throughout the year alongside several other passionate volunteers to ensure the sacred grounds remain the final resting place for colonial families and Valley residents.

While anyone is allowed to bury their loved ones at the Palmer Pioneer Cemetery, Hamann noted the price difference puts priority towards Valley residents. It’s $600 for Valley residents and $1,200 for everyone else.

Even with the priority pricing, the seven-acre lot is running out of room. The lot is boxed in and can’t expand outwards. Hamman said the most important takeaway from this is the fact that it isn’t just colonial families or even Palmer residents who need to worry, it’s the whole Valley.

“This cemetery, at the rates we’re selling graves now, which is approximately 60 to 80 a year, we’ve got five years left and we’re full, we’re done,” Hamann said.

Hamann said that once they reach capacity, there won’t be anywhere to for Valley residents to bury their dead. He said that he isn’t sure how much room is left at the Butte Cemetery but it couldn’t be much and Wasilla is all out of room.

“Once they’re gone, they’re gone,” Hamann said.

On Saturday, several people strolled through the grounds to pay their respects.

“I’m glad to see people remember their relatives and the history,” Hamann said.

There are 2,960 marked and unmarked graves at the Palmer Pioneer Cemetery. Hamann said that he’s picking plots with his wife Lori and plans to be buried next to her on the grounds. He said that about 18 members from his mother and father’s side were buried there.

“I’m glad. I’d rather be here than anywhere else, be here with family. Hopefully later than sooner. There’s always that preverbal bus around the corner,” Hamann said with a laugh.

The list of community supporters who helped with the new wall include Alaska Pacific Rental, Danny Corey, JD Steel Co., Inc. Valley Masonry, Weld-Air, and David Nodine of Mat-Su Memorials.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com