'Mrs. Bay, the noodle seller' volunteers to take care of the martyrs' cemetery

Dien Lien Commune Martyrs Cemetery was built in 2003, is the resting place of 110 martyrs who sacrificed their lives over the years. In the campus there are many structures such as stele house, memorial, graves, flower garden...

According to Mrs. Bay, a few years ago, while visiting the cemetery to burn incense for a relative, she saw the messy landscape, so she stayed to clean, sweep, weed... and this job has been with her for all these years.

In the past, the cemetery's land was rocky and barren, so she used a wheelbarrow to transport fertile soil from the fields to improve it, and actively collected beautiful, easy-to-grow flowers from all over to plant. Every day, she often went to the cemetery in the afternoon to sweep, hoe the soil, pull weeds, water the plants, and clean the tombstones...

Dien Lien Commune Martyrs' Cemetery, the resting place of 110 martyrs. Photo: Huy Thu

Her family farmed 5 sao of rice fields. During harvest season, although she was busy working on her own fields and working as a hired laborer to earn extra income, she still took time to take care of the martyrs' cemetery. Many days, she came home late from the fields and went to work at the cemetery at night. Over the years, the cemetery had no lights, so she had to use flashlights and headlamps to hoe the grass, plant flowers, and carry water to water the plants.

Every year, when summer comes, the heat and drought lasts for a long time, people often see her struggling to push carts, carrying buckets of water from her house to the cemetery. Recently, Dien Lien commune has purchased pumps and a complete irrigation system, and installed high-pressure lamps in the cemetery grounds, so her work is less difficult.

Ms. Vo Thi Bay - the woman who volunteers to take care of the martyrs' cemetery. Photo: Huy Thu

Thanks to her care, the cemetery of martyrs of the commune is increasingly spacious, clean and beautiful. In the harsh summer sun, the flower beds are still green and blooming. Coming to Dien Lien martyrs cemetery, right from the gate, everyone can feel this.

Talking about her work, Mrs. Bay confided: “The heroes and martyrs sacrificed for their homeland and country. I take care of the martyrs’ cemetery with the hope of contributing to making their resting place cleaner, more beautiful and more solemn. This is a job that I do completely voluntarily.”

According to Mrs. Bay, her family has 2 relatives whom she calls "uncle" who are both martyrs in the resistance war against the US. For nearly 4 years working at the commune martyrs' cemetery, Mrs. Bay has lived and worked with all her heart, without anyone urging her, she still voluntarily performed as her duty and obligation. "Every time the cadres, local people, and relatives of martyrs visited the cemetery and saw that I was doing my job carefully, they encouraged and motivated me, that made me feel warm inside" - Mrs. Bay shared.

Every afternoon, Mrs. Bay goes to Dien Lien commune cemetery to start her familiar work. Photo: Huy Thu

It is known that her family used to do business in the Central Highlands, then moved back to their hometown to live. She and her husband have 3 children, all married. Her husband is a construction worker, and she sells noodles and vegetables. Every day, she often buys noodles from Dien Quang to sell at a street stall in front of the village's cultural house. People call her "Mrs. Bay who sells noodles".

As a person who is enthusiastic about the community, she is also an exemplary Deputy Head of the residential group - a pioneer in planting flowers to beautify the village roads, providing flower seeds to many women in the commune, contributing to spreading the flower planting movement in the locality. Her voluntary care of the martyrs' cemetery is fully supported by her family.

Mr. Nguyen Quoc Pho (56 years old), Mrs. Bay's husband, said: "The children are grown up, the couple lives together, she tries to do whatever good she can. Taking care of the martyrs' cemetery or beautifying the village roads are all useful things, my children and I both agree."

Mrs. Bay has been involved in the caretaking work at the commune's martyr cemetery for several years now. Photo: Huy Thu

With two responsibilities, doing housework, taking care of the village and taking care of the cemetery, she has to arrange and organize properly to "have both sides satisfied". Not everyone can work at the cemetery voluntarily (without allowance) with the same enthusiasm, joy and dedication as her.

At first, many people were surprised to see her "carrying the prison and the whole village" passionately. Mrs. Bay said: "The heroic martyrs sacrificed their blood and bones for the Fatherland to have today, my work of looking after and taking care of the cemetery is just a gesture of a citizen's heart towards the heroic martyrs. As long as I am healthy and can work, I will continue this job."

Talking about Mrs. Bay's work, Mr. Nguyen Trung Hoang - Chairman of Dien Lien Commune People's Committee said: "Dien Lien Commune Martyrs Cemetery has been renovated to be spacious, clean, beautiful, with green trees all year round, and flowers in each season. This is partly thanks to the care of Mrs. Vo Thi Bay.

Over the years, she has volunteered to take care of the martyrs' cemetery in the commune, which is a worthy act. The local government has recognized and praised Mrs. Bay's contribution to the work of gratitude and remembering the source of water when drinking.