Willow River Cemetery Needs Help Cleaning Up After Severe Storms

As Hudson residents continue to clean up from last weekend’s storms, the Willow River Cemetery is looking for help removing dozens of very old trees that fell or were uprooted as the result of high winds and heavy rains.

“This is the worst I’ve seen in 29 years,” Mike Miller, the groundskeeper at Willow River Cemetery said Monday afternoon. “I have to laugh to keep from crying.”

The Willow River Cemetery is a nonprofit organization that is funded through the sale of gravesites, Miller said. The misconception in Hudson is that it is city-owned.

“It’s just the two of us and our son,” Mike’s wife Liz Miller said. “The funding we get barely covers mowing the grass and general upkeep of the grounds. We simply don’t have the manpower to deal with this.”

When the Millers woke up Friday morning and looked out the window, they could see trees down everywhere in the cemetery.

“There was brush everywhere, and very, very large trees broken in half or completely uprooted,” Liz said. “Broken tree branches literally line the roads of the cemetery.”

As the Millers and groups of volunteers began cleaning up Friday, a second storm came through that evening and blew down dozens more trees.

“Cleanup will take all summer,” Liz said. “We just don’t have the resources. We need help.”

Because the cemetery—originally started in 1850—is a nonprofit, there isn’t funding in the budget to cover the estimated $15,000 it will cost to have 20-30 very large, old trees that fell professionally removed.

A lot of people have stopped by with chainsaws to help clean up the smaller trees, remove brush and start chipping the wood, Liz said, but volunteers are still needed.

“We need to remove all this brush so we can keep the grounds cut and looking nice,” she said.

Those interested in helping out with financial donations are encouraged to write a check to Willow River Cemetery and send it to 815 Wisconsin St. in Hudson. Donations for new trees to replace the ones lost during the storms are also welcomed.

If you would like to help volunteer with cleanup, contact Mike or Liz at Willow River Cemetery.