Volunteers help preserve Tampa history at Oaklawn Cemetery ahead of Memorial Day
TAMPA, Fla. - The effort brought together members of The Cemetery Society, Tampa Firefighters Local 754 and Tampa Parks and Recreation to help preserve one of the city's oldest and most significant historic sites.
Volunteers clean cemetary
Volunteers spent Saturday cleaning grave markers and placing flowers and American flags throughout Oaklawn Cemetery.
The event is part of an annual tradition organized by The Cemetery Society, which selects different cemeteries each year for restoration and preservation efforts.
Founder Aileen Henderson said, "They say, when you place the flower on the headstone, we ask them to say the person's name. Because they say that when you say their name out loud, their memory lives on forever."
The backstory:
Established in 1850, Oaklawn Cemetery is considered Tampa's first cemetery and contains approximately 1,700 graves.
The cemetery serves as the final resting place for many of Tampa's early leaders and residents, including former mayors, judges, attorneys and business leaders who helped shape the city. It is also home to the graves of veterans dating back to the Civil War and Indian Wars, as well as a Confederate mass grave.
Among those buried there are William and Nancy Ashley, the couple for whom Ashley Drive is named.
Why you should care:
Organizers say historic cemeteries offer more than a place of remembrance.
"These just aren't cemeteries," Henderson said. "They are walking museums, they're educational and it tells you where we came from."
She added that one of the most rewarding parts of the cleanup is seeing younger generations become involved in preserving local history.
What they're saying:
Jeremy Finney, treasurer of Tampa Firefighters Local 754, said participating in the cleanup is a meaningful way to honor veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice.
"As someone who serves, I feel it's part of our duty to recognize those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on Memorial Day," Finney said.
What's next:
The restoration effort is one of several organized by The Cemetery Society. Earlier this month, volunteers gathered to help restore Woodlawn Cemetery in Tampa as part of the group's ongoing preservation work.
The Source: This story is based on reporting from FOX 13 News at Oaklawn Cemetery in Tampa, including interviews with The Cemetery Society founder Aileen Henderson and Tampa Firefighters Local 754 Treasurer Jeremy Finney, as well as observations from the volunteer cleanup and memorial restoration event.