AUSTIN, Texas — The Williamson Creek Cemetery in South Austin has been neglected for years, besides a few volunteers maintaining the grounds. The cemetery has had issues, with trash from homeless encampments and tree debris from this year's ice storm.
"Because of all of the debris and the trees, you can't really tell that it's a cemetery,” said Cheryl Johnson, board member for the Williamson Creek Cemetery Care Association.
On Sunday, the Williamson Creek Cemetery Care Association had its first organized cleanup since 2020. Johnson started the organization after her father passed away this February, to honor his work cleaning up the cemetery.
"I absolutely know that a part of him is with me today. He's smiling down and so is my ancestors," Johnson said.
Johnson said it's important to respect the cemetery because the people buried there are an important part of Austin's history.
“This is a historical cemetery where there was a lot of slaves that were buried here in the early 1900s,” Johnson said.
Brandon Reed is a part of the Overton family and has about 30 ancestors buried here. Among them are James Everett Overton, grandfather of Richard Overton, an Austin legend and the oldest-surviving World War II veteran, who passed away at 112 in 2018.
"When I'm imagining 1835 or 1850, I could see it because of, you know, my family is here now," Reed said.
Reed's great-grandmother used to bring him to this cemetery every summer so he could learn about his heritage.
"If you don't know your history, you don't know where you're going,” Reed said.
Sunday's cleanup was a step toward making the cemetery a place their ancestors would be proud of. When Johnson saw all the volunteers working on Sunday morning, she was overcome with emotion.
"My heart just burst because I am just so happy that people from all walks of life gathered today," she said.
She plans to have cleanups every few months until the grounds are completely restored. She also plans to put up a sign at the entrance that details the historical significance of the cemetery. And of course, she hopes to continue to honor her father’s legacy.
"It just really touches me that I'm able to do what he would have wanted me to do," Johnson said.