BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Two longtime members of the Crosby Lake Cemetery Association are encouraging the community to contribute to maintenance efforts as the dwindling funds have made such efforts difficult.
“The bottom line is that we are floundering for finances,” Carolyn Eaves said. “We really do need some help.”
Eaves said the cost of mowing the cemetery, which consists of approximately 50 acres, is $2,000. Mowing must be done at least twice a month during the summer. It doesn’t have to be mown as much in the winter, but Eaves said an effort still needs to be made to clear tree limbs and debris during that time.
“We still want to maintain the cemetery for the people who are there,” Eaves said. “We feel that maybe families and friends are not aware that there are no existing incomes for that cemetery except for the sale of lots.”
Sales of lots have decreased over the years. Steve Futch remembers a time when people bought 12-15 lots per month, but with cremation becoming a more popular option, people are either not buying lots or buying fewer of them.
“Cremation people aren’t buying lots, or people are buying one lot for two people,” Futch said. “One guy bought one to put all four members of his family. People aren’t coming out and buying four, five, six or eight or 10 lots like they used to.”
Futch and Eaves unsuccessfully appealed to the city of Starke and Bradford County commissions for help. Eaves said Sara Lynn Geiger and Tonya Shays, the legislative aides for Rep. Bobby Payne and Sen. Jennifer Bradley, respectively, have been receptive and have been “amazing” in providing some ideas.
One such idea is trying to obtain grants.
“I have somebody interested in doing that for historical preservation,” Eaves said. “What I now need are maybe some prominent people who are buried out there. So far, the only one I can come up with is (former Florida Sen.) Charley Johns. I’m sure there are others we might could put in that category. That would enhance our position to get that (grant).”
Futch said in many cases, it’s hard to know who is buried at the cemetery, due to the record-keeping system, especially before 1970. A name of a person who bought a lot may be on file, but that doesn’t necessarily tell you who’s buried in the lot. Futch said sometimes it might be known who’s buried there, but not exactly where they’re buried.
Eaves said it would help the cemetery’s efforts if family members of those buried there could be required to pay an annual maintenance fee, but in many cases, it’s simply not known who to contact.
“We’re not blessed to have those records,” Eaves said. “We have no way of letting you know there’s a need.”
Eaves and Futch are the remnants of what used to be a nine-member Crosby Lake Cemetery Association board of directors. The association was incorporated in 1971 — one year after DeWitt C. Jones, the founder of Jones-Gallagher Funeral Home, transferred his control of the property to the community. The original board consisted of three members who each represented a Starke church: O.L. Hazen (First Baptist), Eugene L. Matthews (First United Methodist) and Arch Thomas (Madison Street Baptist).
The board eventually grew to consist of multiple members from each of those churches. At some point, the two Baptist churches decided to no longer be involved.
Futch said it has been difficult to get people to help, even though a lot of people in Starke and Bradford County have loved ones buried at Crosby Lake Cemetery. The cemetery was established sometime in the 1850s.
“Nobody wants to seem to worry about it,” Futch said
If anyone would like to make a monetary donation toward upkeep of the cemetery, please contact Eaves at 904-964-5812 or Futch at 904-966-6535 or mail donation to Crosby Lake Cemetery Association, Care of Carolyn Eaves, 613 Colley Road, Starke, FL 32091.
Of course, anyone is welcome to provide physical labor in helping to maintain the grounds or simply take care of family gravesites.
Futch encouraged anyone who’d like to fulfill record-keeping and/or accounting duties to contact him or Eaves as well.
