My family buried there include the Lane family and Wille Dotson. I had someone tell me today that the cemetery has fallen tree branches and poison ivy in it, the braches are resting on some of the headstones. I'd really appreciate it if someone could please help me, I live over in Denver COO.

Hi,

As you probably know, the Lane Cemetery hasn't had any burials in it for many, many years. There are a lot of little cemeteries like this in Madison County, and they have no caretaker. The Lane Cemetery had been abandoned for many years until several years ago when volunteers cut sprouts and somewhat cleaned it up.

We had a tremendous ice storm in this area in January of this year and there are few places that limbs are not down. Since there is no caretaker for this cemetery, there is no money to hire someone to clean it up. The cleanup would have to be done by volunteers and/or by someone hired to do the cleanup by someone interested in the cemetery.

Joy Russell
Madison County Genealogical & Historical Society

Thank you, Joy, for the timely response.

I'd be willing to make a donation if someone local could watch over it. I do that down in St Paul for the Riverside Cemetery.

Do you think this would be possible?

I'm hoping to get back over there sometime this year.