West Deer man takes satisfaction in caring for Bull Creek Cemetery

West Deer resident Howard Kirkbride tries to keep his visits to Bull Creek Cemetery to a minimum of once a week, but his passion for it makes that impossible.

The 77-year-old has volunteered his time to the cemetery, on Tarentum-Culmerville Road, for more than 28 years. He became president of its board two years ago after serving as vice president.

When he first joined the board, he never thought he would end up taking care of burials and gravesites.

His duties include keeping the lawn clear of branches and sticks, ensuring gravesites are leveled, maintaining detailed records of graves and mapping each section of the cemetery.

“I take great satisfaction taking care of this place,” he said.

He credits previous president Loyal Fredley for providing him with the skills needed to ensure the cemetery is looking its best. Transitioning to president was easy for Kirkbride, who said he already was doing his current duties for the past 10 to 15 years when Fredley became ill. Fredley died in 2020.

As a caretaker of a cemetery, Kirkbride never knows when an undertaker will call about a burial. He has to be prepared at any time to arrange one. “It’s like a 24/7 job,” he said.

Bull Creek Presbyterian Church was established in 1794. The first burial without a gravestone at the cemetery was in 1802. The oldest burial with a gravestone was in 1804.

The cemetery would function under the church with burials until 1955, when the cemetery was considered separated from the church. Kirkbride said burials stopped taking place at the old site by 1960.

The current site used for burials is near one of the old church buildings no longer in use. The land occupies 4 acres, with additional acres available for future use.

Kirkbride predicts it will be 50 to 100 years before the extra land will be used for burials.

The cemetery sees an average of five to six burials a year. Kirkbride noted a record of burials during 2021 when the board had to do 15. There was only one covid-related death, he said.

“That was a lot for us,” Kirkbride said.

His daughter, Deb Walsh, is the board secretary. She enjoys learning about the operations of the cemetery from her dad.

“It’s really peaceful when you’re working over there (at the cemetery),” she said.

Because the cemetery is nonprofit and independent, the pair take pride in providing special attention to burials. Bull Creek Cemetery offers a more personal touch “than a lot of other burial places,” Kirkbride said.

Kirkbride does major cleanups at the site twice a year. In the fall, he removes decorations to prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then, in March, he does another cleanup to prepare for upcoming spring and summer holidays.

The job is a one-man-show. It takes him about two hours to complete the task.

“I’m happy I can stand and look over and see a job well done,” he said.

On Memorial Day, he makes sure to place a flag by every veteran’s grave. He occasionally will check on the flags to fix any the wind blows over or any touched by animals, such as deer or bears.

Kirkbride knows he eventually will have to think about his future. With his daughter and son-in-law learning from him, he knows the cemetery will be in good hands when he can no longer perform those duties.

“Everything is well-covered,” he said. “I’ll be doing what I can and, if it becomes too much, then that’s when I will resign.”