LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In the heart of Louisville sits the final resting place for thousands, dating back to the mid-1800s. Eastern Cemetery is also home to around a thousand United States and Confederate veterans.
But the years have been rough on Eastern, some headstones are either in poor condition or covered up, including a row of graves hidden after a tree collapsed.
“We had contacted them about a week ago and notified that we tried to find my father's grave and there was a tree up over it,” Nathaniel Jackson said.
Jackson’s father was buried in the cemetery in the 70s, recently he went there looking for his father’s grave but discovered a fallen tree covering a number of headstones.
Less than a week later, volunteers with Friends of Eastern Cemetery made quick work of the fallen tree, clearing and cleaning the final resting place of Eugene Jackson Sr.
“Oh, it was a blessing. You know I’d been trying to locate his grave but I was unable like I said, I was unable to see it but you know its been a remarkable discovery to be able to view my father’s grave,” Jackson said.
When the weather is good volunteers clean the cemetery each Sunday. Mowing, trimming trees, and raising headstones are common chores.
“It brings a lot of joy to us, that we can help somebody to find their loved one, and when you’re buried here you don’t have really a lot of people to come up and come see you, so we are kind of helping out everybody,” Anna Dawson Heitfeld, one of the volunteers said.
Heitfeld has been volunteering here since 2013 alongside her parents and her three kids.
“We’re able to come in and treat everybody just like they’re family to us, we don"t care if we’re not related to you, we’re going to treat you right and we’re going to make sure your stone looks good or have it raised up,” Heitfeld said.
With less than a week until Veteran’s Day, Sunday volunteers planted flags at the graves of all the service members here.
Around a dozen or so people spread out across the 28-acre cemetery placing the small flags one by one. Honoring each veteran as they do so.
“Thank you Mr. Birdsong,” one volunteer said as she placed an American flag on the grave of World War II veteran Rann Birdsong.
If you are interested in helping pick up flags next week, members of the group say they could always use more help. You can learn more about the organization here.