Founding father Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Patricia Lewis, who was appointed to the cemetery advisory committee in October of 2020, does not take this certainty lightly, and is intentional about having her final resting place laid out.
Lewis, who has uncles and aunts – as well as some distant relatives – buried at the Boulder Cemetery, has wanted her remains to reside in the peaceful location overlooking the Elkhorn Mountains atop the hill on the east side of town, and she’d prefer to be cremated – not buried. By working with the city and the newly established Boulder Cemetery Care Corp. (BCCC), Lewis has been instrumental in creating a new option for those choosing cremation. Instead of having an urn buried, it can be displayed in a columbarium, a structure with niches for funeral urns. The columbarium– which was gifted to the city – is set to arrive the first week of August.
The columbarium was purchased for a total of $25,578. This includes delivery and installation. The crane placement alone is $2,500. The niche wall cost $23,078.
In late June, a concrete foundation was laid for the columbarium by South’s Concrete and Construction of Butte. The columbarium will hold 48 12-inch cubed niches. Each niche will hold two standard cremation urns. Lewis said others in the community have also expressed an interest in utilizing the columbarium.
Bringing a columbarium to Boulder Cemetery has been quite a process for Lewis. In November of 2022, she established the BCCC, a non-profit organization consisting of members Steve Goodson and Mechele Anderson. This group had the means and expertise to move the project forward in consultation with the City of Boulder Public Works and the Cemetery Advisory Committee’s recommendations to the City Council.
As a non-profit foundation, the Boulder Cemetery Care Corp. will accept tax deductible donations for future cemetery care and support. For additional information, contact Patricia Lewis at (406) 422-6512, or write Boulder Cemetery Care Corp., PO Box 302, Boulder, MT, 59632.
The City of Boulder will handle the sales of the niches. A columbarium policy and fee schedule is being drafted.
