Susan Barr
Kern Valley Sun

At the Dec. 9 meeting of the Kern River Valley Cemetery District Board, local philanthropists, Darlene and George Randall, were on the receiving end of some well deserved kudos. The Kernville couple has taken it upon themselves to fund a major revitalization of the grounds for both the historic Old Kernville Cemetery located on the banks of the Kern River and the newer section which rises up from Kernville Road. Both the board and Randy Kyt, the cemetery manager, wanted to show their appreciation for the couple’s ongoing commitment to the beautification of the cemetery.

Like many rural cemeteries, the District deals with the challenge of operating a business in the face of ever declining revenues. Fewer individuals are choosing traditional burial and are opting for cremation instead. With the resulting shortfall, Kyt and the Board are constantly searching for ways to keep operating costs to a minimum.

Kern River Valley Cemetery District Manager Randy Kyt, left, shows the district’s appreciation to George and Darlene Randall at the Dec. 9 board meeting with a stunning plaque. The philanthropic Kernville couple took it upon themselves to fund a major revitalization of the grounds for the historic Old Kernville Cemetery and the newer section of the cemetery which rises above Kernville Road.

As hiring a full time groundskeeper is out of the question, Kyt himself does a great deal of the work, calling in part time help when the need arises. That’s where the Randall’s came into the picture. When they learned that many of the cemetery trees were diseased and many more were in need of pruning, they offered to help and hired Valley Tree Service to do the job.

Without the Randall’s help, it’s likely that the District could not have afforded to do the necessary work and may ultimately have lost some trees. Kyt stated, “The Randall’s have truly been a blessing from the Lord. Because of them, we’ve been able to maintain these grounds in a manner that is fitting of the families who have entrusted their loved ones to us.”

As the couple was presented with a plaque, featuring photos of the cemetery trees, Randall downplayed their generosity by joking, “We’re happy to do it. We’ve got a lot of friends up here.”

The Cemetery District will soon be landscaping and planting trees in the newest section. Donations of trees from the public are always welcome. For further information, contact the cemetery at 376-2189.