The following article appeared in the Sunday edition of the Johnson City Press. Betty Seaton Williams asked me to spread the word about their efforts to improve Oak Hill Cemetery. She can be reached at bswcelo@yahoo.com. Betty Jane OAK HILL RECLAMATION - EFFORT UNDER WAY TO RESTORE HISTORIC CITY CEMETERY By James Brooks Press Staff Writer jbrooks@johnsoncitypress.com Two North Carolina women whose roots are in Johnson City have joined with a local brother and sister to bring back the city’s Oak Hill Cemetery. Betty Seaton Williams, Burnsville, N.C., her friend, Barbara Thomas, Salisbury, N.C., and Doug Sizemore and his sister, Natalie Sizemore Bailey, both of Johnson City, have sent a mailing to all known members of the Oak Hill Cemetery Association seeking funding for a cleanup of the cemetery and a securing of the site. They recently mailed out a letter that explains the plight of OHC. “Many people who assisted with the upkeep of OHC have either passed away or moved without a forwarding address,” the letter says. The loss of annual dues has been so considerable that the board of directors was driven to seek support from outside organizations. Peter Naher, the manager of the cemetery for 25 years, is in declining health and unable to continue with maintenance, and the board sold the cemetery to Jack Ragsdale of Greeneville. The desire to see the cemetery cleaned up and preserved goes beyond the fact that is the resting place of family members, but it also includes the graves of Henry Johnson, founder of Johnson City, and Col. LeRoy Reeves, designer of the Tennessee state flag. Cited among the problems is the growth of trees and wild bushes, some of them actually on the graves, stumps from trees that have died or been cut, about 300 tombstones that have been vandalized and a chain link fence in need of repair. An account for the Oak Hill Cemetery Friends and Volunteers was set up at Bank of Tennessee for contributions to the cleanup effort. Once that is accomplished, an annual Decoration Day event is planned to bring relatives and loved ones of the descendents together to share the day. Historically this has also been a day for families to clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones. The committee asks for a voluntary continuance of payment of the $75 annual dues, and any donations to the account that anyone wishes to make. The project is done with the blessing and permission of Ragsdale, the owner of the cemetery, which has approximately 1,500 to 1,600 grave sites still available. Ragsdale made the records of the association available to the committee and they sorted through about 1,000 records, all on 3-inch-by-5-inch index cards. “Of these we were down to about 100 people who contributed to upkeep between 2000 and 2004,” Thomas said. As contributors dwindled the curator was limited to how much work he could do other than mowing. While modern cemeteries have gone to stones mounted flush with the ground that can be mowed over, older cemeteries such as Oak Hill must be mowed and trimmed around each stone, a never-ending task. Woody growth can intrude in any area left neglected for a year, and within three years such areas get taken over. “We’re seeking a one-time cleanup,” Thomas said, “hopefully that will also include repair of the fence to keep vandalism down and repair of those tombstones that have been broken or tipped over.” She said they’ve gotten quotes from three landscapers, and including removal of trees, vines and shrubs, the project would costs thousands of dollars. Ties to the cemetery run deep. In addition to having grandparents, aunts and uncles buried there, Thomas said she once lived on Lamont Street. “It is right in the center of Johnson City and should be a showplace of our history,” she said. “I hope some of the service clubs can also join in cooperation.” Natalie Sizemore Bailey said she has seven or eight family members buried at Oak Hill, including her parents and grandparents. “We try to keep our section cleaned,” she said, “but it’s a losing battle.” When she was a student at Henry Johnson School, their history teacher Gordon Grubbs took the entire class on a field trip to Oak Hill. “We walked over there and were required to take notes,” she said. She understands the difficulties in maintaining an old cemetery. “You’d like to see it all clean and fresh, but we really don’t have a good list of dues payers. Many people think that perpetual maintenance comes with the purchase of the lot, and it doesn’t. However, if they hope to sell new lots there needs to be maintenance on the entire cemetery,” Bailey said. Johnson City Press, Sunday February 5, 2006, p. 1. Oak Hill seems to have had problems for a long time. HISTORY OF OAK HILL CEMETERY 29 May 1908 Twelve years ago Oak Hill Cemetery was a wilderness of weeds and briers, a number of little pens dotted here and there, and a few strands of barbwire marked the outside fence but down at intervals, in fact it was nothing less than a pasture for the town cow, a disgrace to Johnson City. A committee of ladies from each of the churches of the cit met at the home of Mrs. C.K. Lide, talked and planned of how to raise money to fence the cemetery. With an oyster supper, a lecture from Senator R.L. Taylor, another from Hon. A.A. Taylor, sufficient money was raised to put a substantial fence around the cemetery. The good work commenced, the ladies were not prone to lay it down, so what is now known as "The Oak Hill Cemetery Association" was organized Nov. 1896 with Mrs. C.K. Lide as President, holding their meetings once a month in the homes of the different members giving now and then an ice cream and strawberry supper, concert, musical or something of the kind, managing to keep the weeds and briers cut down and a drive way made, but interest began to flag. Our president moved away and our meetings were discontinued until Oct. the 28th 1904. The ladies were called together again in the home of Mrs. C. Faw and the Cemetery Association reorganized with Mrs. W.J. Exum as President. We met with discouragement many times, have been criticized and censured but kept right on until now, the ladies feel real proud of their work. They have engaged J.C. Mumpower as Sexton for another season and he too has had to bear his part of the censure. Did you ever stop to think that the Sexton couldn't mow the whole cemetery in a day, get down and clip the grass from the graves, around the corner stones and such places as could not be reached with the mower and perhaps stop to dig three or four graves in the mean time? By the time he gets over all this ground that part of the cemetery where he commenced to now is needing mowing again, and needing it badly, especially if it has been a rainy time (for grass and weeds will grow in wet weather.) You make a visit to the cemetery and perhaps your loved ones are sleeping in this particular spot, where the mowing commenced, you go away feeling hurt and think he doesn't keep your square mowed, the other part of the cemetery looks nice and clean. You make it convenient to see the president or some officer of the association to tell them your square in not being kept as it should be that you pay your $1.20 per year the same as others and they can just take your name off the books and you will look after your square yourself or hire some one else to do it. We would just ask you to visit the cemetery oftener and perhaps you will happen there just when your square has been mowed and you will go away feeling better and make others feel better. Saturday May the 30th is Decoration day and the sexton is especially anxious to have you come to the cemetery on that day, he expects to do his best to have it in good condition. Give him an encouraging word and he will do you better work. All work better when we feel that our efforts are appreciated. Mrs. J.A. Martin President Mrs. Frank McNees, Vice-Pres. Miss Sallie Faw, Treasurer, Miss Mollie Kitzmiller, Sec. Officers, Oak Hill Cemetery Association, "History of Oak Hill Cemetery." The Johnson City Staff 29 May 1908, Twice-A-Week ed.: ND. Betty Jane Hylton Co-cordinator, Washington Co. TN TNGenWeb Page http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnwashin Editor, Watauga Association of Genealogists Bulletin http://www.rootsweb.com/~tnwag Cemetery Survey Team of NE TN http://cemeterysurveyteamofnortheasttennessee.com ________________________________________________ Get your own "800" number Voicemail, fax, email, and a lot more http://www.ureach.com/reg/tag