Louisville Students Clean Historic Cemetery for Families

Dozens of seventh graders traded their textbooks for gardening gloves Monday to restore a Louisville cemetery where generations of families rest.

Students from St. Martha Catholic School fanned out across the 31-acre Louisville Cemetery on Poplar Level Road, pulling weeds, clearing overgrowth, and cleaning headstones. Some graves on the historic grounds date back to the 1800s.

For Ivy Lewis, 13, the volunteer work felt deeply personal. Her grandfather was buried at the cemetery, making the cleanup more than just a school field trip.

"I feel very grateful that I get to be able to be a part of cleaning a cemetery, because it's very special to people," Lewis said.

Her classmate Georgia Pifer, also 13, said she thought about the families who would visit after the cleanup. Making their visits easier, without worrying about trash and weeds everywhere, was what motivated her.

Ashton Smith, another seventh grade volunteer, said he felt lucky his school organized the field trip. Getting to help with the cemetery meant something to him.

Tammy Fletcher, president of the Louisville Cemetery Improvement Association, said the students' efforts carry deeper meaning. The work shows that even though people are gone, they're still being watched over and loved.

Adult volunteer Antonio Neal, who has several family members buried at the cemetery, said seeing middle schoolers give their time was especially touching.

Sunny's Take

Not every student arrived with a family connection to the cemetery, but they left understanding something important about caring for their community's history. Lynkyn Bentancourt, 13, described feeling both heartwarming and sad seeing the damage the gravestones had endured over time.

Maddie Bryant, 13, summed up what seemed to drive all the volunteers that day. Helping people whose loved ones rest there just felt good, she said.

The Louisville Cemetery Improvement Association plans another community cleanup event later this month or in June, possibly featuring food trucks and music to celebrate the volunteers.

Sometimes honoring the past means rolling up your sleeves in the present.