Tennessee man takes on Green Park

Greg McKinley could have just written a letter to the editor.

Or he could have just grumbled to himself on his drive back to Tennessee.

Instead, he decided to make a difference.

When he passed through Green Park Cemetery in September, he said, “I saw there’s a lot of stones that need attention, and I know that resources are limited.”

McKinley, a retired investment banker from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, not only decided to make a contribution to boost the cemetery’s finances, he decided to put in some sweat as well.

“I told them I’d give them a month of my time,” he said this week while working with Green Park’s sexton Jeff Upp and part-time employee Josh Jackson.

McKinley has family ties to Jay County. His grandfather was Dr. A.C. Badders, and his mother is Pat (Badders) McKinley. She’s now 94 and living in a facility for those suffering from memory loss.

His father and brother are buried at Green Park. “And this is where my mother will be buried,” he said.

Upp and McKinley noted that between 100 and 150 headstones are in need of work. In some cases, their foundations have failed. In others, they’ve tipped after nearby trees have been removed and the roots have decayed. And in some cases, it’s simply that time has taken its toll.

“We decided to start in this section because it would be more visible,” Upp said as the three worked on a series of Heath family stones not far from the cemetery’s chapel.

“He’s going to contribute financially and also his time and labor,” Upp said of McKinley.

This time around, McKinley was spending about a week here. He’ll return at a later date depending upon weather and ground conditions.

He’s also hopeful that his effort and involvement will encourage others to help out. Green Park, like most cemeteries, operates on a shoestring.

Donations can be sent to Karen Resler, secretary-treasurer of the Green Park board, at 928 N. Franklin St., Portland.