Veterans work to keep historic Wilmington cemetery clean, restore gravestones

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Two veterans and several volunteers work to maintain the historic Bellevue Cemetery, located on Princess Place Drive in Wilmington.

Navy Veteran Marion Vernon has worked in the cemetery since Hurricane Matthew alongside City Councilman Charlie Rivenbark.

Along with raking leaves and keeping the cemetery clean, Vernon has learned to restore gravestones and is working to redraw the maps of the cemetery. Marine Veteran Ron Smith joined the team a few months ago. He works to find stones that have sunk into the ground and brings them back up again.

“We’re preserving the history of the community and the city,” Smith said. “It’s very important to me.”

Vernon says he learned his respect for gravesites from his mother. Growing up, they had a family cemetery, one that was home to a grave without a marker.

“Mama scraped and saved her pennies and nickles until she was able to buy a stone and put in there. Even though it wasn’t one of her family members, it was out there, and she said nobody should not have a stone,” Vernon said.

Now, Vernon says his goal is to make sure everyone laid to rest at Bellevue is properly marked and remembered.

“I’m just trying to grid it out somehow or another and find out where the people are at and put name tags on every one of them,” Vernon said. “It’s a very ambitious goal, very ambitious.”

The navy veteran said they have made great progress, but they are always looking for more volunteers. They are out working at the cemetery on Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 8 am.