Impressed with citizens' community pride

After many absent years, I recently enjoyed a delightful vacation in Thermopolis. A long-time friend and THS classmate spent an afternoon driving me by the many changes, and, one of our stops was the cemetery to visit the graves of my parents, Lawrence and Martha Schroeder.

What a pleasant surprise to view Riverside Cemetery which reflects excellent care and continuous maintenance. Because every Memorial Day, I accompanied my parents to the cemetery and watched them use their hoes, shovels and rakes to remove the weeds around the graves of our Schroeder relatives, I was amazed at the present neat, well-kept grounds.

Equally astonishing was the Kiosk that affords the opportunity to easily find a grave.  A touch on the screen displays a keyboard on which you can enter the name of your deceased relative; follow the oral commands; and, view a map that gives the exact location of the grave. It was an incredible experience to spend a few minutes on the screen and a brief 5-minute walk to the grave.

Another stop was Monument Hill Cemetery – totally transformed from the sagebrush through which we hiked as teenagers – completely unaware of the nearby graves. A final stop was the Hot Springs County State Bathhouse. Yes, my question was, “What happened to the individual concrete Bathtubs?”  They have been replaced by a large, sparkling clean hot pool where a person can relax and enjoy a 30-minute soak.

Thermopolis has changed. However, the improvements attest to the citizens’ pride in their town and offer visitors another unique experience in wonderful Wyoming.