Preservation coordinator: Michelle Gollihue
"I have been working on the Wilson Cemetery located near Willard, Ky. It doesn't look like the same place."
Anyone interested in the preservation of this cemetery can contact me."
<= In 50 years, he will recall,
"Remember the day we cleaned the cemetery together"**
Restoration work done in 2018 by Ralph Bentley - email: ralphbentleyd at hotmail.com
Wilson Cemetery is located northeast of Willard off of E.K. Mines Branch Road. It sits atop a ridge between E.K. Mines Branch Road and Jerial Branch Road. The coordinates from Google Maps are 38°13'10.6"N 82°52'47.4"W. This cemetery was nearly lost due to abandonment and overgrowth. The main reason was there was no road that allowed access to anyone without an ATV. My interest in this cemetery is that several of my ancestors, to include my maternal grandmother, are buried here. Since last summer (2018), extensive work has been done to preserve this cemetery. An initial walkthrough survey by the landowner and myself was attempted in August. The vegetation was so thick that not much was accomplished other than locating a couple of the formal headstones. It took us quite some time to even find the grounds. We conducted a second walkthrough in November which was more successful. At that time, I contracted for a road to be built from E.K. Mines Branch to the cemetery plus a parking lot added. That road is now complete although some touch-up is required once (if) the grounds dry out. In December, I contracted for the brush to be removed including several trees that were dead and/or had fallen. That work is now complete. I was previously only aware of about a dozen graves in this cemetery. Now that the grounds are cleared, I estimate there may be 10 times that amount. I had no idea that many graves were there. Most are marked, literally, by headstones and footstones, none of which show any identification. This work has attracted quite a bit of attention from the local residents, fortunately all positive. Many have stopped to show their appreciation and state that they have relation buried there. The next event in this restoration project will take place on Wednesday, March 6th, 2019. I have contracted with a Ground Penetrating Radar service out of Louisville to survey the site and create a report of findings. Most of the graves are marked, but unidentified, but I expect we will find several unlocated graves. Once the full extent of the cemetery grounds is known, I plan to enclose it with a fence and hire a service to tend the grounds. I send this simply to share the information with anyone that may be interested, either from a genealogical or historical perspective. I’m curious also if anyone knows a means to raise funds to help defray the cost of the restoration and ensure the upkeep is continued.