CSBJ Daily

As workers across the nation are easing into a three-day weekend of time spent with family, barbecues and quiet introspection about those who have passed on, cemetery workers are kicking it into high gear.

Memorial Day is their busiest day of the year.

“Memorial Day is like Christmas in the cemetery business,” said Will DeBoer, manager of Colorado Springs’ Evergreen Cemetery. “We work all year to get ready for this day.”

Lawns must be in tip-top shape. Trash must be gathered, and preparations must be made for the crowds that will surely be visiting.

“It’s really a lot of work,” DeBoer said. “No one’s slacking off around here.”

This year, Evergreen will be hosting its second annual balloon release. Visitors are invited to write messages and thoughts about loved ones on 300 balloons that will be released at about 1:15 p.m.

There’ll also be a Civil War re-enactment and posting of the colors.

DeBoer said he’s expecting about 300 people.

“I’m a big believer in getting the living into cemeteries,” he said. “That’s who they’re really for.”