Group looks to restore Odd Fellows Cemetery

Martin County family cemeteries are an important part of North Carolina history.

However, the family history uncovered at Williamston’s Odd Fellow Cemetery by a local group formed to restore the grounds is now in the record books.

The Preserve the Odd Fellows Cemetery Committee (POFCC), was formed with recollection, restoration and historic recording in mind. The committee is comprised of five individuals set on polishing the gem to honor those buried there.

It was not an easy task as years of neglect escalated the fading view and memory of the sacred, but overgrown ground at the end of Faulk Road.

“For hundreds of years the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Williamston was the only burial ground for African Americans. As years passed and times changed this cemetery had been neglected and forgotten by many. The committee was established to record the history and restore the burial grounds of our loved ones with dignity,” said Williamston resident Walter Whitfield.

Whitfield shared a copy of the only known record in existence of the Odd Fellows Cemetery. A list of over 700 deceased dating back to Dec., 14, 1793 was compiled after gravestones long covered were cleared, cleaned and recorded.

Mary L. Walker was born on that December day in 1793. Ms. Walker died on Oct. 2, 1830, according to the findings. The records indicate the Walker grave is one of the oldest known in the cemetery.

Aside from Whitfield, the committee includes Glenda Davis, Linda Gibson, Danielle Davis and Clare Miller.

“This project has been dear to my heart and soul for many years. Every time I walked the Odd Fellows Cemetery my heart would become heavy and sad to think about how we had neglected one of the most precious and sacred grounds in Williamston,”bsaid Glenda Davis. “This burial ground of our ancestors reflected an image of loss and forgetfulness. I knew in my heart if a group was formed to clean up and preserve Odd Fellows Cemetery that many would join to make the cemetery a place of pride giving our ancestors the dignity they deserve.”

The Odd Fellows Cemetery is a historical site to African Americans living in Williamston. Every native African American family of Williamston may have some family member or friend buried on this sacred land, a mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, sister, brother or other relatives, according to the compiled burial list.

Williamston’s Odd Fellows Lodge of African Americans was established in the early 1900s. Much of the local heritage is in the ground at the Odd Fellows Cemetery. For decades, the remains of forefathers have gone unnoticed, according to the document.

“We have a clear vision of what we want the Odd Fellows Cemetery to become. We want it to be a place where people feel proud to visit and can have the opportunity to take the time and reminisce about their loved ones,” Whitefield said. “Traditionally, most African American cemeteries are cared for by their family members. Plots were either sold or given with the anticipation that it would be the responsibility of the families for upkeep, in perpetuity. The problem of course, for the Odd Fellows Cemetery is that most family members have moved away.”

Edna B. Andrews is buried at this site and while the elementary school bearing her name in Hamilton is now closed, her memory and achievements live on. There are over 40 veterans buried there, with several who served in World War I. There are also several individuals who were born right after the signing of the emancipation proclamation.

“Helping with preserving the Odd Fellows Cemetery is an enormous undertaking, and we have met both challenges and obstacles. But with the concerns and indefatigable devotion of many, the rewards have been countless,” Whitfield said. “We will surmise that our greatest reward is knowing that we are preserving a treasure of history that cannot be replaced. We are giving life to those who can no longer speak but have left a burning legacy on our hearts full of hope and aspiration.”

The Odd Fellows Cemetery is located at the end of Faulk Road in Williamston.