SHEFFIELD, Pa. - Lee Goldthwaite might have the most stable job in this remote corner of northwestern Pennsylvania. The caretaker of Sheffield Cemetery is busier than ever directing crews clearing trees to make space for more graves as deaths dramatically outpace births here and in other vast stretches of rural America. Each time he buries a newly deceased resident he wonders how the town that once drew scores of young families will survive. "We already lost our bank," Goldthwaite said as he took a break from trimming the grass around headstones. "We lost our liquor store, and we may be about to lose our high school."

Source: Washington Post June 24, 2024 07:52 UTC