Cemetery restoration projects need your help!

This season is generally considered a time for charity. While there are many worthy causes, deserving of your financial contributions, this column will spotlight an often-overlooked cause with genealogical focus, in desperate need of financial support.

 

The desecration and loss of historical cemeteries, both legally in the name of “progress” and illegally, as in the case of the Burr Oak Cemetery in Illinois, finally found itself the subject of national news reports this year. Yet the news reports stopped just short of truly representing what it takes to maintain some of these old cemeteries, particularly those no longer in current use. While genealogists look for their ancestors in the records, many neglect the final resting places of these ancestors, the cemeteries where they are buried. Around the country, cemetery restoration projects attempt to maintain these cemeteries in the condition our ancestors deserve. These projects may be organized and run by volunteers from the local historical or genealogical society, but often the restoration and maintenance of historic cemeteries is left to private individuals, who pay out of their own pockets for necessary materials.

 

One such project, Resurrection Mission in Onslow County, North Carolina, currently cares for over a dozen area cemeteries and gravesites, some of which contain the remains of former slaves and war veterans from the Spanish-American War and both World Wars. These cemeteries were in a state of disrepair prior to coming under the care of Resurrection Mission, long forgotten by the families of those buried within them.

 

Resurrection Mission is almost entirely the work of Mr. Jack Robinson, a retired Marine and local historian who committed himself to the maintenance of historic cemeteries in southeastern North Carolina in 2005. As Jack described to this author, “when first approached [endangered cemeteries] are overgrown with weeds, grasses, and shrubs. Six of the current cemetery projects had grass more than waist high. Briar bush thorns the size of an average pencil point are wrapped around headstones, trees and shrubs. Numerous grave markers are broken, fallen or missing.”

 

Despite the dangerous environment, Jack proceeds with his efforts. “Using hand tools and hand held gas-powered equipment, tall grass and other foliage is cut back to a level that is approximately [the] height of the tallest headstone. This phase of the work is done in segments and done at a very slow pace to ensure headstones, markers, and artifacts are not damaged. Care is also given to original hand planted flowers that have ‘gone wild’ due to lack of maintenance….  When each segment of the cemetery is cleared as previous mentioned, then I continue the process to the next segment until the known cemetery is cleared.” The North Carolina climate can also be dangerous in itself. “Temperature while doing cemetery work during summer time could reach triple digit and insects of all time, year round are common,” Jack adds.

 

Jack does nearly all of this work by himself. “To date, very few volunteers have come forward to assist in my cemetery research and preservation projects. There have been a continuous flow of what I call impromptu volunteers but, not too many actually come to the gravesites.” This is to be expected, Jack says. Many of the surviving descendents are too advanced in age to perform such physical labor. “When dealing with endangered cemeteries direct descendents may not be available for a multitude of reasons. In many cases the family had ‘died out’ decades ago.”

 

Funding for the projects overseen by Resurrection Mission comes nearly entirely from Jack himself. He has self-published several books which he sells in order to help raise funds, and accepts donations both locally and online, both through his own website and through the “Causes” application on Facebook. Through a partnership with the International Association of Cemetery Preservationists, Resurrection Mission is able to solicit funds as a 501c3 ”Not-for-profit” organization.

 

Please consider donating money to Resurrection Mission, or another cemetery restoration/preservation project. There are many projects nationwide sponsored by local historical or genealogical societies, as well as those conducted by caring individuals like Jack Robinson. These men and women have dedicated themselves to preserving the memory and legacy of our ancestors by protecting their final resting places, and they need our help.

 

Visit the Resurrection Mission website, Jack’s blog, or his Youtube channel for more information, including photos and videos of the projects, or search for local cemetery restoration and preservation projects in your area.