Caretakers of abandoned McElhaney Cemetery look for someone to continue their work

Gene Davison and Linda Halford didn't intend to become McElhaney Cemetery's voluntary caretakers.

In 1997, the pair was walking along the South Creek Greenway trail in west Springfield with their dogs when they came upon the land. The area was overgrown with scrub oak, poison ivy and field grasses, according to Davison. So they decided to clean it up.

They have spent the past 25 years caring for and maintaining the acre. But now, with both in their 70s, it's time for them to step down. Since 2021, they've been trying to find someone to whom they can pass the torch. They have not yet had any takers for the volunteer role, which does not offer any reimbursement for time or equipment.

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"A lot of people have contacted me asking how much it paid. Nobody was interested in doing it as a volunteer," Davison said. "We're very sad, because over time, (the cemetery) is going to revert back to what it was when we found it."

According to Mary Kromrey, executive director of Ozark Greenways, Inc., the organization has shared the appeal for new volunteers in its newsletter and on its Facebook page, but "a new volunteer leader(s) has yet to come forward."

"(Davison and Halford) have truly cared for this space, which has been heartwarming to watch over the years," Kromrey said in an email.

Neither Davison nor Halford have any kin among the 35 recorded people laid to rest in the cemetery. Instead, their commitment to the acreage comes from a sense of altruism.

"The people that are buried here, the families of the people who are buried here deserve to have it taken care of," Davison said. "We just decided that someone needed to take care of it. All the people who walked by on the (Ozarks) Greenways trail, all the people that saw it, but nobody was taking care of it, and it deserved better."

Cemetery is surrounded by city's land, but has no owner

The McElhaney Cemetery, which lies north of Republic Road and east of Wilson's Creek, was deeded to Maj. E. L. McElhaney in 1889. According to the plaque attached to the cemetery's gate, McElhaney was a veteran of the Battle of Wilson's Creek, where he served under Union Gen. Nathaniel Lyon. The first person to be buried at the cemetery was McElhaney's father-in-law, William A. Jackson.

The Jackson family's descendants placed the plaque on the cemetery gate in fall 2001.

According to Davison, though people were buried there until 1936, the land fell off the tax rolls around 1912, so "we can't establish who owns it." The land surrounding it is owned by the City of Springfield. The cemetery also is not affiliated with any church.

Before Davison and Halford, a family was taking care of the cemetery until they moved away in the early 1980s, which explained why the land was so overgrown when they stumbled upon it.

Taking on care of cemetery is 'a lot of work'

One stumbling block in finding a new volunteer caretaker is that the cemetery requires regular maintenance for part of the year.

In the spring and early summer, Davison estimates that he's at the cemetery once a week to take care of the grass and keep it clean. Other than that, maintenance consists of picking up branches or storm debris. Over the last quarter century, Davison and Halford also organized spring and fall cleanups with help from volunteers.

"It's a lot of work. Taking it on is quite the responsibility," Halford said.

More: You can tour Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield for free starting Jan. 1

Davison estimates they have spent thousands of hours and "a fair amount of money" taking care of the cemetery.

"We've done what we could. We took out few dead trees. We just have tried to make it a nicer place," Davison.

Those with questions about the cemetery can contact Davison through McElhaney Cemetery's Facebook page. Davison said those interested in taking over care of the cemetery will need to contact Ozark Greenways, Inc., to obtain a key for the vehicle barrier.

Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Volunteer caretakers for Springfield cemetery search for new caretaker