Visitors of the Vissenbjerg Church can't help but marvel at the old architecture, some of which dates back to the 12th century. Inside, the eye beholds several 15th century wood figures, a magnificent altarpiece that dates back to about 1525, and the baptismal font from around 1200, the oldest item in the church.
The Lutheran-Protestant Danish Church is situated on the second highest hill on the island of Funen. It measures 39.5 meters long and 10 meters wide. It is the second biggest village church in Denmark and operates the largest village cemetery in the country.
While the ancient church dominates the scenery, a new Walker mower can be seen darting in and out of the cemetery proper. The church purchased its first Walker, a model MC, three years ago. It replaced that with a new Model MT just last year.
"On average, we put 200 hours on the mower each year," tells cemetery leader Jorgen Pedersen. A former self-employed landscaper, Pedersen has been with the church and cemetery for seven years now. He says the new Walker mows the 3780 square-meter area in about six hours. The cemetery is mowed once, sometimes twice a week; the same task used to take 35 hours with a riding mower and a trim mower.
In addition to mowing, the Walker is used for dethatching in the spring and for fall cleanup.
"We are very satisfied with the mower," Pedersen adds. "It is ideally suited for mowing the tight spaces so prevalent in the cemetery. We can also mow in the rain if forced to."
The church and cemetery employ six people full-time for 10 months out of the year. It is the only cemetery in town, and accommodates 80 to 100 burials a year.
Site Search
