"In 1946, friends of the late Mrs. Ella Luke gave money to a fund in her memory in lieu of funeral flowers. Mrs. Luke had previously expressed the sentiment that she felt it more worthwhile to make a permanent memorial gift rather than spend so much money on flowers at the time of the funeral. Mrs. G. J. Ewing felt strongly enough about this, to start a fund operating on a perpetual basis.”

    That is how the Lunenburg Memorial Fund first began.

    For more than 50 years, a group of dedicated Lunenburg residents have been collecting donations made by the friends and families of loved ones and have turned that money into lasting memorials here in town, often supporting worthwhile community projects and organizations.

    The original Memorial fund board was made up of six women: Mrs. Ewing, Susan Ware, Lea Burnap, Hazel Kimball, Helen Hague and Louisa Putnam.

    The Board is now comprised of 18 members, nominated and selected to serve on the board for five-year terms. There is no limit to how many terms a member can serve.

    Dawn Johnson, the Memorial Fund President, was nominated onto the board in 1993. Fellow Board member Ginny Albertson was nominated to the board in 1996.

    Earlier this month, both women sat down to discuss the history and value of this organization, looking ahead to the 65th anniversary of the Memorial Fund next year.

    “[The Memorial Fund] is a gem that most people don’t really know about,” said Johnson.

    “But it’s so worthwhile. It’s such a good thing to do,” added Albertson. “You can have a permanent memorial for someone who was in your life.”

    “All of the money we receive, we spend. We understand that there are a lot of worthwhile causes out there [that people could make memorial donations to] and we respect that. We just feel that being able to make improvements to the town we love is just as worthwhile,” said Johnson.

    According to Johnson, when donations are made to the Memorial Fund, sometimes a specific request is made as to how that money should be spent, but not often. It falls to the board to decide where the money will go.

    “We meet only once a year but everyone is very serious about what we do,” she said.

    “A lot of discussion goes into deciding where the money might best serve the town,” added Albertson.

    However, when larger donations are made in a person’s honor, Johnson said a Fund member will call the family and ask them what they would like to see done with the money.

    “We take into consideration who the memorials are being made for and try to donate the money to things that that individual and their families would appreciate; that are reflections of who is being memorialized,” said Johnson.

    When Johnson’s mother-in-law, Nancy Johnson passed away, Johnson said memorial donations made in her name were used to erect a Hitter’s Eye at Marshall Park.

    “Her sons all played baseball. Sports were important to her family and I think she would have appreciated it,” said Johnson.

    The Memorial Fund has also supported over 10 local organizations throughout the decades, such as the Lunenburg Fire and Rescue Squad, the Community Council, the Conservation Commission and the Lunenburg Public Library.

    “When we say lasting memorial in the town, it often means that it is something that benefits a lot of people but wouldn’t be made possible without the combination of funds available,” said Albertson.

    In the past, Memorial Fund contributions were used mostly to purchase books for the town library and scholarships. Though Johnson said the group has moved away from scholarships, the Memorial Fund has continued one yearly award since it was first created in the early ‘60s. The Nicholas Johnson Industrial Technology Award is given to a student at Lunenburg high School who been seen to excel in the industrial arts.

    “We like this award because it’s not a scholarship and there are no strings attached,” said Johnson. “Some students have used the money for tools, some, if they’re going to college, have used it for books, but it’s just an award, they can use the money however they want.”

    Throughout the years donations have appeared in town in many forms, from trees and benches to signage, school supplies and office furniture.

    Memorial Fund contributions have help fund, either in total, or in part, such projects as the erection of the town’s Gazebo, renovations at the Town Beach, purchasing stage lighting for the Lunenburg High School auditorium, erecting the Life Stations at Marshall Park, purchasing fire and rescue equipment including a trailer for carrying rescue equipment, erecting a bird sanctuary on Hollis Road in partnership with the Conservation Commission, purchasing books for the library and purchasing two town flags, one for the town hall and the other which is now hanging in the Hall of Flags at the Statehouse.

    “That flag at the Statehouse wouldn’t be there without these donations. Now schoolchildren can go there and see their town, Lunenburg, represented,” said Johnson.

    Both women say that being part of such an organization is “an honor.”

    “These women [who started the Memorial fund] were ahead of their time. Nowadays there a memorial donations for everything but in the ‘40s, to think to do this sort of thing and not to send flowers was just unheard of,” said Albertson.

    “You learn a lot about the roots of the town [through the Memorial Fund]. Everywhere you look in town you can see where someone’s donations have made a difference and it’s an honor to be a part of it,” said Johnson.

    The Lunenburg Memorial Fund Inc. is a charitable non-denominational, non-profit organization. Its members include Dawn Johnson, Christopher Zarba, Sharon Kimball, Nance Ware, Ginny Albertson, Helen Brockelman, Mike Chapdelaine, Sally Deming, Scott Fitzgerald, Jon Jones, Mike Masciarelli, Fran McCarthy, Josephine Meloon, Lisa Normandin, James Ricci, Rob Robuccio and Cindy Wentworth.

    As a countdown to the Lunenburg Memorial Fund’s 65th Anniversary, The Lunenburg Ledger will be running weekly photographs of the many things, places and organizations that the Memorial Fund has touched or made possible throughout the years.

    Donations to the Memorial Fund can be made out to the Lunenburg Memorial Fund, INC., c/o Mrs. Nance Ware, 360 Sunnyhill Road, Lunenburg Ma, 01462.