By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
When Tim Hammer drives past cemeteries, he can’t help but take a peak. His eyes are drawn to the height of the grass, the meticulous nature of the weed trimming, and the general appearance of the final resting place for those whose loved ones entrusted the cemetery sextons to take care of the deceased.
At the close of this month, Hammer will be retiring from the City of Bowling Green after nearly 35 years – most of those years as the person charged with maintaining Oak Grove Cemetery.
While some may be unnerved by spending days in a cemetery, Hammer said the job suited him just fine.
“I enjoy being outside. I enjoy the people,” he said of the families of loved ones being entombed in Oak Grove.
His favorite task is mowing the grass – at the bottom of the list is using the weedeater.
While he was caring for the resting place of many strangers, he was also tending to the tombstones of his father and first wife, who are interred at Oak Grove Cemetery. All are treated with reverence.
Hammer started with the city on its trash crews.
“I started with the trash truck – throwing it by hand,” he said.
Then he was moved to two weeks a month on recyclables, and two weeks at the cemetery. It was in 1998, that Hammer, who is married to Lori Dunn-Hammer, was shifted solely to Oak Grove.
“The cemetery wasn’t maintained like it is today,” Hammer said. “There was a lot to learn.”
The 23-acre cemetery sits alongside Bowling Green State University. The first plot was sold in 1873 – 37 years before BGSU was established.
It is Hammer’s job to sell lots, open and close the plots after burials, pour concrete for headstones, mow the grass, trim weeds, and plow snow off of the roadways.
In his position, Hammer also has the delicate role of meeting the needs of the grieving families.
“You have to be compassionate with people,” he said.
“It’s difficult seeing people like that – especially when they lose someone at a younger age,” Hammer said. “Situations like that are difficult.”
BG Public Works Director Joe Fawcett praised Hammer’s skills with families.
“He works with people on their worst day – and he does an absolutely phenomenal job,” Fawcett said.
Mayor Mike Aspacher shared that respect for Hammer’s work with families. “He’s really exceptional,” he said.
Aspacher said Hammer has shown great commitment to the community.
“The work he’s done out there is really, truly remarkable,” Aspacher said.
“He’s done a fantastic job,” BG Public Works Director Joe Fawcett said of Hammer. “The city is really going to miss his institutional knowledge.”
Each year, retired City Attorney Mike Marsh praised the appearance of Oak Grove Cemetery on Memorial Day. “It’s the nicest looking cemetery in Northwest Ohio,” he would say, complimenting the city crew that maintains the property.
Some days the pressure is more intense to have the cemetery all spruced up – like Memorial Day when the community gathers in the center to remember those who died to keep America safe.
But Hammer also knows the value of a well-maintained plot to individual families stopping by to visit lost loved ones.
“We get so many compliments,” Hammer said.
“I can honestly say, it’s been a great job to have,” he said, noting that the city always gave him the proper equipment and personnel to maintain Oak Grove.
“The city’s been very good about backing the cemetery,” he said.
And though he will no longer be doing the mowing or the weed trimming, Hammer will still likely glance over as he passes by.
“It’s been enjoyable. That’s why I stayed for so long,” he said.
