Beech Grove Cemetery, Muncie, Indiana

Some of the lowest paid professionals of the Twentieth Century were men and women of the cloth who served congregations across the country.  Pastors work long hours, stay up with families in joyous times and some of the most trying times of illness and death.  Ministers are there when people get married and buried.  In many cases the pastors provide the religious education and inspiration for entire communities.  Many of them then retired from service without pensions or with very small ones.

Veterans of the Cross is a collection (sometimes called the Christmas Fund) that was started to help pastors and their spouses and children.  The fund augments retirees with pension supplements, health premium subsidies, emergency assistance, and to help families pay for utilities.