Environment
How Boston's Gravediggers Are Dealing With the Region's Heavy Snow
Some Massachusetts cemeteries have had to halt burials in the snowbound state.
No matter the circumstances, burying a loved one is an enormous emotional challenge. Right now in Boston, which has collected more than 100 inches of snow since late January, it's also a physical one.
"This has not been an easy winter," says Bill Hewitt, general manager of the Boston Catholic Cemetery Association, which operates four cemeteries in the metro area. One of them is strictly historic, meaning it doesn't accept new burials, and been left unplowed. But at the other three locations, Hewitt says his staff has been able to meet all burial requests in a normal timeframe, barring the days that there have been travel bans (in those cases, they've been able to dig the grave within a day or two).