Work Begins Soon On Preston Veterans Cemetery

PRESTON, (AP) - Construction begins soon on a new cemetery in southeastern Minnesota that will let veterans be buried next to their fellow veterans - and closer to home.

The Preston cemetery will serve the needs of veterans in southeast Minnesota, as well as those in northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. It will transform a postcard-like setting on one of the green, rolling hills that cradle Preston into a final resting place for more than 35,000 veterans.

It also provides a closer alternative for families than the nearest veterans cemeteries such as Fort Snelling in Minneapolis, Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spooner, Wis., and the State Veterans Cemetery near Little Falls, Minn.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will reimburse the state $10 million to develop it.