Senator Hassan Recognizes Linda Sarette of Sanbornton as November’s Granite Stater of the Month

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Linda Sarette of Sanbornton as November’s Granite Stater of the Month. Since 2019, Linda has dedicated herself to maintaining the gardens at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery, ensuring this final resting place for fallen service members is a place of beauty and calm.

Linda was first motivated to tend the cemetery gardens after her late father, who served in the Coast Guard, was laid to rest at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. When Linda visited her father’s grave, she noticed the section lacked a garden. The staff told her that they would plant one if she would care for it, and she has been tending gardens at the cemetery ever since. Raised to understand the value of service, Linda nurtures the more than 100 gardens across the cemetery – planting flowers, weeding, and trimming hedges – working up to four days a week in the spring.

Linda has found a community of volunteers at the cemetery and gotten to know many of the visitors who come to pay respects to their loved ones. Along with gardening, she offers comfort to grieving families on quiet days and places wreaths and flags on graves during the holidays. Her work is a beautiful example of the Granite State spirit of showing respect toward those who serve, in life and in death.

Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.

To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.

I am honored to recognize Linda Sarette of Sanbornton as November’s Granite Stater of the Month. Linda has been tending the gardens at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery since 2019, ensuring that the final resting place of fallen service members is a place of beauty and calm.

Linda was raised to understand the value of service. Her father served in the Coast Guard, and after his death in 2019, he was buried at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. The cemetery is a place that is deeply important to our state – where we can reflect on the brave Granite Staters who gave the words "Live Free or Die" true meaning. Linda noticed that there was no garden in the section that her father was buried in and the staff told her that they would put one in if she would care for it – and she has been tending gardens at the cemetery ever since. Linda has been gardening for her entire life, and she uses her knowledge and skills to plant flowers, weed, and trim the hedges at the more than 100 gardens throughout the cemetery, working up to four days a week in the spring.

Over the years, Linda has found a family of volunteers at the cemetery. She has gotten to know many of the people that come to visit loved ones at the cemetery. Throughout the years, different people have also joined Linda in volunteering to take care of the gardens,  but regardless of whether other volunteers are there, she has remained a constant presence. Linda is there on quiet days, comforting families going through a difficult time, and she is there on holidays to place wreaths and flags at each grave.

Linda’s commitment to ensuring that all fallen service members are shown dignity at their final resting place is a beautiful example of the Granite State spirit of showing respect toward those who serve, in life and in death. Her kindness in supporting the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery is why I am proud to name her November’s Granite Stater of the Month.

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