Davis Cemetery Fund

The Davis Cemetery Fund provides perpetual support for the historic Davis Cemetery located on Blackwater Falls Road in Davis, West Virginia, ensuring its ongoing care and beautification.

TYPE OF FUND: Cemetery Preservation Sub-Fund / Field of Interest

DATE ESTABLISHED: Initiated October 2006; Established January 2007

PURPOSE: For perpetual funding of Davis Cemetery located on Blackwater Falls Rd, Davis, WV.

DISTRIBUTION: An annual grant will be awarded to the Davis Council Cemetery Committee to be used for the maintenance, historic preservation, and beautification of the Davis Cemetery in accordance with the TCF Cemetery Preservation Fund Specifications.

VARIANCE POWER: If, in the judgment of the TCF Board of Directors, the restrictions and conditions of the fund become unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community, the TCF Board of Directors maintains the right to modify the terms of this fund.

FUNDING: Initial funding from Margaret Fortini Siembieda, in memory of her parents, Joseph and Alice Moore Fortini, and her brother, Michael Fortini. Additional funds from a successful letter-writing campaign initiated by Ms. Siembieda to former classmates and alumni of Davis High School. January 2007 bequest from the estate of Paul Meyer.

BACKGROUND: Margaret Fortini Siembieda, a native of Tucker County, initiated the fund in memory of her family, many of whom are buried in the Davis Cemetery. Her parents were lifelong residents with strong family ties to the area. Paul A. Meyer, a lifelong resident of Davis and caretaker of his family’s graves, left a $50,000 bequest in 2007 to the Davis Cemetery Maintenance Fund. His wish was for only the interest to be used annually, with the principal invested conservatively by the Tucker Community Foundation. Meyer was a Navy veteran, a Davis High School graduate, and a dedicated steward of the cemetery.