YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Just off Alum Rock Road in Fawn Township lays a plot of local history.
Friends of Lebanon Cemetery began its newest service project on Saturday at Fawn African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Volunteer Damita Wilson says the grounds are near and dear to her family.
“My family grew up in this church, so when I was a child, I was running around these grounds. That’s how long I’ve been connected to this church," Wilson said. "Knowing that there was a way to help with what they needed is the greatest blessing to me.”
Wilson’s great-great-grandfather who fought in the American Civil War is among several veterans buried there.
Joining Friends of Lebanon Cemetery were volunteers with Home Depot in New Freedom.
Ellie Richardson helped facilitate Saturday’s cleanup after receiving a grant from the Home Depot Foundation.
“The way it works for the foundation is they give us a certain amount of money per the volunteer work that we do, so the number of associates we have working here and volunteering today also directly contributed to the amount of grant money I am able to work with,” Richardson explained.
Volunteers with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led nonprofit, removed tree branches and other debris from the property.
“We’re trying to find a way to leave this cemetery better than the way we found it,” said Chris Marcheskie, the Central Pa. Administrator for the organization.
Marcheskie is a veteran himself and was inspired to volunteer after learning about Friends of Lebanon Cemetery earlier this year.
Some of the oldest headstones can be found near the tree line. Unfortunately, some names have been lost to time due to overgrowth.
However, organizers say there may be even more history buried below the surface.
Volunteers unearthed several gravestones, like one belonging to Alexander Bowyer buried in 1957.
“When you really start thinking about it, it’s an emotional thing that somebody lays here," Marcheskie expressed. "Their family doesn't know they’re here. We’re bringing that gravestone back to sunlight."
“Everybody has a story, and everybody’s story must be told,” Wilson added.
Friends of Lebanon Cemetery received a $6,700 grant from Home Depot that will be used to maintain the property moving forward, including the construction of a shed to hold maintenance supplies.