Never Quit winner is Michigan cemetery sexton who wears two very different hats

Paige Yoho wears two very different hats. As the face of the Negaunee, Michigan, cemetery and the head of a boys’ basketball program at Ishpeming High School, she relies on the same set of skills that have made her a great public service worker.

“The types of skills that carry over from being a cemetery sexton to a coach are definitely the open communication,” Yoho says. “And I’m constantly telling my players to have time management skills, have open communication skills, because it’s going to help you when you’re my age.”

As a cemetery sexton, Yoho manages burial records and the day-to-day burial operations. This involves mapping out the family plot in coordination with the funeral director or a family member and then using the backhoe to start the excavation process.

“Being in a position that I am in right now plays a pivotal role — being able to be the face of the Negaunee Cemetery down here, as well as, you know, the head of a program at Ishpeming,” she says.

Terry Parkkonen, the lead foreman who works with Yoho at the cemetery, says Yoho is “a reflection of Negaunee city employees and the community.”

“Her role is dealing with folks that have lost loved ones,” he says. “And her caring and compassionate heart needs to be there, each and every day.”

For her service to her community, Yoho, a member of Local 1415 (AFSCME Michigan 925), is a winner of our union’s Never Quit Service Award, which recognizes public service workers who go above and beyond the call of duty to make their communities better.

“It’s hard, it’s demanding, but for me personally, I just keep reminding myself how rewarding it is to be able to help families navigate the grieving process,” Yoho says. “It’s a difficult time for them financially, emotionally, physically. … I’m honored to wear the titles that I do.”