SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Overgrowth, leaves and brush could be seen covering headstones at the historic Oak Lawn Cemetery. With some headstones sunk in the ground due to erosion, the cemetery appears to be forgotten.
Portsmouth resident Tara Wilson spoke with 10 On Your Side about the condition of the cemetery.
“As you can see, this cemetery is very unkept,” Wilson said. “Grass is not cut, and it does not make sense because when it’s like that, they have snakes and stuff out here as well.”
Before
Wilson sent pictures to 10 On Your Side complaining about the conditions at Oak Lawn after visiting her brother, Christopher Wilson, on Father’s Day.
“My brother was murdered here in Suffolk in 2006,” Tara said. “So, I come back here to visit him every chance I get. He was a father.”
On Sept. 30, 2006, Christopher Wilson was shot and then taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he later died.
“My brother was a character,” Tara Wilson said. “He was loved by many. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you. He wasn’t a saint. You know, everybody has their downfalls and everything.”
While walking back to Christopher Wilson’s gravesite, Tara Wilson described how she felt about the conditions of the cemetery.
“I feel disgusted when I come back here because I have to maneuver my way through all of this [overgrown grass] just to see my loved one, and it shouldn’t be like this,” Tara Wilson said.
While walking through Oak Lawn, small American flags to honor the fallen soldiers could be seen laying on the ground and piled up, unkempt and muddied by rain.
“I feel that they don’t care who’s back here, and it shouldn’t even be like that,” Tara Wilson said, “because, if their loved one was back here, they would have kept it up. So, just because it’s not your loved one, why don’t you respect everybody else’s?”
Currently, there are more than 460 people buried at Oak Lawn, including 1st Lt. William H Walker, a Tuskegee Airman, and four other Civil War veterans from the U.S. Colored Calvary.
Looking at the cemetery, you can see three tiers going down a ravine, with each tier having more graves hidden by trees and shrubs, and some sunken by erosion.
10 On Your Side’s Andy Fox asked Tara Wilson what she would say to her brother about being at Oak Lawn.
“I would tell him that I’m sorry he’s here,” Tara Wilson said. “I want him moved from here and to be placed in a better place because he doesn’t deserve to be laid to rest in something like this. No one should. It’s like they’re all forgotten.”
Little did Tara Wilson know, 10 On Your Side’s extensive reporting on cemeteries caught the eye of someone offering a solution.
Suffolk City Councilman LeOtis Williams, who also owns LW’S Lawn Service in Suffolk, brought out what he calls his “A” Team.
Williams said he would commit to coming out to Oak Lawn once a month until November, cutting massive amounts of grass for free.
10 On Your Side’s Andy Fox told Tara Wilson about Williams’ plan the day before the grass was to be cut.
“I thank you LeOtis,” Tara said. “I really do thank you. You know, it shouldn’t have gotten this far, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
President of the Historic Oak Lawn Cemetery, Reginald Dirtion, was on site to watch the work performed by Williams’ A-Team.
“At this moment, I feel great because it’s been a long time coming,” Dirtion said. “I hear quite often, I see how the grass was growing up, and we have so many historic people here, it looks bad. We have to do what we can to preserve our history, our heritage.”
Williams then explained why he reached out to 10 On Your Side to tell this story.
“I wanted you guys to come out and see what we are doing,” Williams said. “10 On Your Side has shown an interest, and their concerns about the historical cemeteries, and I think you guys were the best ones to contact.”
“My pledge is to make sure this never happens again,” Williams said.
Williams left with just one message to other lawn services:
“If you see overgrown cemeteries, do something about it,” Williams said. “Please volunteer.”
After the grass was cut, Drone 10 flew over the Historic Oak Lawn Cemetery to see the groomed grounds, which replaced what was unsightly before.
After
