Glidden officials have announced plans to bring an interactive kiosk to the community’s historic cemetery. According to City Clerk, Suzy Danner, improved record-keeping at Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery was identified as a priority from residents. Originally, information was stored in handwritten books and later uploaded to Excel. The city council approved a proposal last week from Windy Prairie Systems that would incorporate that information into a more modern system.
She notes that several businesses have donated to the $25,500 project, and they are also waiting to hear back from multiple grant committees. The cemetery is most famous for the burial of Merle David Hay, a Glidden native who is believed to have been the first American killed in World War I. Danner says the cemetery will be one of the most unique in the state once the new technology is installed.
Danner says the system will be pretty basic at the start, but they have plans to implement many more features in the future.
A firm timeline has not been established, but officials are projecting the kiosk will be installed by the east gate entrance as soon as this summer.
