Editor, Ceres Courier,

Ceres truly has a treasure in Clay Guzman who manages and oversees the Ceres Cemetery. Some of my Parks/McKnight family members are interred in the old section of the cemetery which is not endowed. There are many very old gravesites in this area and many show signs of their age. I recall as a small child, well over 70 years ago, visiting the cemetery monthly with my family and bringing flowers for our loved ones who had passed. The one thing that made the cemetery, at that time, a less scary place for a young child was the beauty of the roses along the south fence now bordered by the Whitmore Overpass. I noted last fall that only a few roses remained and the fence no longer had the flowering beauty that it once possessed. I was bothered by that and called Clay.

Let me say, this was not my first conversation with Clay as he had responded promptly to my concern of soil that had washed away around some gravesites. He checked out the problem and gave me the courtesy of an almost immediate call back to assure me he would solve the problem. He did. Now, back to the roses. I called and told him exactly what I have just written. Without pause he told me that he would plant some this spring and help to restore the blooming flowers. Indeed, most of the length of the fence has now had the empty spaces filled with new roses and soon the fence will be covered with their beauty.

Thank you, Clay, for going above and beyond to keep our cemetery looking so nice. Thank you for your kindness in speaking to those who contact you and a big applause for promptly acting upon your promises. My family and I greatly appreciate him.

Marjorie McKnight Derby,
Ceres