Digging deep into the cemetery
Posted: 02.14.2012 at 10:00 AM

In this 'Take This Job and Love It', one reporter digs deep into the life of a cemetery worker.

Off to dig a new grave plot.  / Todd Bailey
Photo

ALBANY, GA --

In 'Take This Job and Love It', Todd Bailey digs deep into the life of a cemetery worker.

When most people think of a cemetery, they look at it as a sacred place, but for others it's just downright scary. So, taking this job was of interest to a reporter like me.

John Irvin, is a sixteen-year cemetery worker veteran of Kimbrell and Stern Funeral Home. The cemetery is something that took some getting used to.

“When I first got here, my mind was playing tricks on me. There is a lot of talk about what happens in the cemetery, that happens late at night. There isn’t anything that goes on because the dead is dead,” says Irvin.

Felicia Pitt, Crew Supervisor of Riverside Cemetery, says “the hardest part of working in cemetery is finding locations and how to identify the lots and to identify if there is a burial in that space already.”

Being very careful to not just don't dig anywhere is the key to being successful at the job.

“We have to look on the map and find the lot location and make sure that the lot is vacant and make sure that there aren't any burials in that space. We'll probe it to make sure and then afterwards they'll lay down their frame well cut it out and then open the grave up and start to dig,” said Pitts.

When Irvin reveals his profession to others, he usually has to do some explaining.

“Most like other people think it's weird, strange. I mean after I got here, I realized isn’t nothing strange about it. It’s just a job,” says Irvin.

“Team work is a big part of it,” says Pitts.

“I like the guys that I work with you know we have gotten to be just like family now says, Irvin

And this family has the best toys to play with

"I still like riding machines, I just like being on equipment". "It’s so peaceful out here I love it out here." says Pitts

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