The first burial at Veteran Memorial Park at Druid Ridge occurred Tuesday when George Otis Bell, an Army veteran and beloved brother, was laid to rest.
“We are a band of brothers,” said Charles Kratz, World War II veteran and founder of Veteran Memorial Park at Druid Ridge. “He was one of those brothers.”
A little more than one month ago, Kratz built a memorial wall in the middle of Druid Ridge Cemetery and founded the Catherine and Charles Kratz Memorial Foundation. There is also a museum full of war memorabilia dedicated to veterans past and present and 90 grave plots for veterans who could not afford a proper burial.
On Tuesday, Bell was the first.
“I never thought we could do something like this,” Kratz said. “This is one of the highlights of my life: to help a family.”
As part of the memorial foundation?s gift to veterans and their families, every homeless or needy veteran will be cremated for free or offered a discounted price for a burial plot at Druid Ridge.
“He made all of this possible for us,” said Bell?s sister, 38-year-old Ohio resident Teri Bell Jones. “We just didn?t have the means.”
Jones said she found out about Kratz and the memorial foundation through the Maryland Anatomy Board.
The board has jurisdiction over unclaimed people at their death, board Director Ronald Wade said.
Bell was survived by seven brothers and sisters and was referred to Kratz for his services to veteran families.
Bell, 49, died July 10 at the University of Maryland Hospital without any identification.
The family was not notified for a week, Druid Ridge Cemetery Director Amy Shimp said.
In 1985, Bell joined the U.S. Army and National Guard of District of Columbia.
In 1989, he was honorably discharged and worked at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the District as a medical assistant.
He then went on to the University of Toledo, where he received his associate degree in management information systems.
