If you live in Preston, you have driven by at least one of the 34 cemeteries in town. The reason for so many cemeteries, I believe, is twofold: The town was settled in the 1600s when most people were buried in a family plot, and the town is spread out with three distinct areas.

The town of Preston only cares for three of 34 cemeteries: Brewster (also known as Brewster Neck and Norwich State), Brothers of St. Joseph (located next to Brewster Cemetery) and Gates.

The following cemeteries are cared for by organizations or individuals; Avery, Gates, Harvey Tomb, Long Society, Norwich Hebrew Benevolent Association Cemeteries 1, 2, 3 and 4, New Poquetanuck, Palmer and Preston City.

This leaves 20 cemeteries uncared for in our town, forgotten and to be claimed by time and Mother Nature.

The care and upkeep of cemeteries has become a personal passion of mine. These are the final resting places for our families and loved ones.

My family is buried out of state. Since I’m unable to care for their sites, I enjoy working at the cemeteries in Preston.

If you have ever done any genealogical research, you know the thrill of finding a headstone with new information, details that unlock a new leg of your family tree or confirm an elusive fact, like a spouse’s name. Keeping our cemeteries clean shows respect for the members of the military who have served our country.

I hope to one day soon be able to place an American flag on all the military gravesites in Preston. These are just a few of the reasons graveyards and cemeteries are important. They are a stepping stone to our history.

I recently met the hardest-working and most dedicated couple, Michael Carroll and Lisa Bergmann. Michael and his fiancée Lisa founded Rediscovering History, which is dedicated to the care and recovery of cemeteries throughout Connecticut.

Michael reached out to me last winter regarding the Killam Cemetery located on Rose Hill Road. It was brought to Michael’s attention that it had fallen to the ravages of time and Mother Nature.

The Preston Historical Society and Rediscovering History decided to join forces to clean the Killam Cemetery. As simple as this may sound, there is much legwork required before we are able to set foot on a cemetery.

As in the case of the Killam Cemetery, it was once on private land. The land was a gift to the state. According to the state, the town retains ownership of the cemetery, but the town has no deed for the cemetery.

So who actually owns it and whose permission is needed to care for the cemetery? Michael charged at this conundrum and handled it like a pro. He researched the Connecticut laws.

I’ll spare you the legal jargon; the bottom line is only towns, ecclesiastical societies and cemetery associations can own graveyards and cemeteries. The town has the right to appropriate funds for the upkeep of unattended cemeteries.

Michael has gained authorization from the state to cross its land in order to access the cemetery and deposit the removed brush.

On July 24, Rediscovering History and the Preston Historical Society began the massive cleanup at the Guiles-Safford Cemetery on Route 165. Thankfully, we were able to clear the majority of the brush and clear the grounds of the cemetery.

On Aug. 14, we completed the cleanup of the cemetery and began the process of resetting and cleaning of the headstones. With a final date, soon to be set, we hope to complete this cleanup.

To date there has been approximately 60 hours of volunteer time expended at the Guiles-Safford Cemetery. The Preston Historical Society has asked the public works department of Preston to mow the Guiles-Safford Cemetery a couple times a year.

It saddens me to say the request was turned down.

It seems word has gotten out about the work being done at the Guiles-Safford Cemetery. The PHS has received numerous requests to aid in the cleanup of other cemeteries around town.

We are working on gaining approval to do the Old Poquetanuck and Bentley Sholes cemeteries. Please follow the Preston Historical Society and Rediscovering History’s Facebook pages, so you are able to track our progress and join us at an event in the near future.

Bridget Park is president of the Preston Historical Society.

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