A group is being formed in Chilton County dedicated to restoring and preserving Chilton County cemeteries. They have a website located here.
They are in the process of forming a nonprofit organization, but membership at the site itself will remain open to all after they get nonprofit status. The message boards are not for genealogical discussions except for how they relate to cemeteries. The site is purely for sharing information on Chilton cemeteries, planning restoration projects, and looking for groups or organizations interested in adopting cemeteries and helping maintain them.
For those with ancestors and cousins buried in Chilton County this is great news. Preserving our local cemeteries, especially those no longer being maintained, is a topic that we, as genealogists and family history researchers, can get fired up about. In the same vein as the post last week on County Records, get involved locally to preserve an abandoned/uncared for cemetery near you – there are someone’s ancestors if not yours. If you cannot give of your time, consider a monetary donation for maintenance costs. If you cannot give a monetary donation, consider giving your time.
At the state level we have the Alabama Cemetery Preservation Alliance. On its website you can find the information below and much, much more.
- How to register a cemetery with the ACPA
- Information on Cemetery Restoration
- Adopting a Cemetery
- County representatives for each Alabama County (there are also some counties who need a representative)
