Families petition for access to Leon County cemetery

There was a full house for the January 27th meeting of the Leon County Commissioners Court. Most in the gallery were on hand in a show of support for the Boggy Creek Cemetery restoration group. The group is still seeking help in resolving access issues that affect Boggy Creek Cemetery, described as a recognized historical cemetery with World War II veterans and Korean War veterans interred. The cemetery is located in Leon County and the group is trying to establish that the roads once used to reach the cemetery (CR 417, 418 and 419) were maintained by the county from at least 1976 to 2004, and never officially abandoned. The roads are now in disuse and the cemetery is landlocked by gates and cattle guards on the property of Rufus and Sharon Mullins. A presentation by a professor and a law student from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law set forth an official request for the county to order the Mullins to remove the obstructions and for Leon County to begin properly maintaining the road.

Far more moving were testimonials from several in the audience who have a personal interest in visiting the cemetery. Flynn resident Bill Wagner shared, "That cemetery is a viable entity in our lives. We can't get to it and we NEED to visit our cemetery. We need to get there to bury wives with husbands. All the families here today are represented in that cemetery. Since 1867 that cemetery has been there, and that's a long time. There are slaves (including) my great-great-grandmother Celie Bowers. We'd like to visit and have full use, if it is the commissioners' will."

Arthur Mays recalled attending a funeral at Boggy Creek in the early 1990's.

Apostle Marcus Mathis, a Leon County native who came from Albany, Georgia to speak, entreated the court, "It's a hard thing to have rootS, but not HAVE roots. Many of our forefathers and family constituents are buried there. Think about how YOU would feel... Americans have certain rights and privileges... Do the right thing: Open the cemetery up so we can have the opportunity to have closure in our lives. Give us that right."

Ruby Mathis Tormey spoke of her family's desire to be able to honor their father, a WWII veteran and father of 16. Referring to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Tormey compared, "The flame never goes out at Arlington Cemetery, and our father's flame never goes out in our hearts. We would like to have the opportunity to honor our father."

Lillie Washington, a Normangee native now living in Houston, explained that her father, too, is buried at Boggy Creek and she and her siblings are beginning to think about where they will someday be buried, with the Boggy Creek cemetery under consideration. "My mother's husband is buried there, and her mother. She wants to go there as well, and we won't be able to honor her wishes uless the court makes these roads accessible again," Washington concluded.

Finally, former Precinct 4 Commissioner Burrell Biddle shared that he remembers doing maintenance on roads going into that cemetery, and recalled previous Commissioner Curtis Easterling telling him that he also did maintenance on those roads. "I know it wasn't officially closed... We didn't do much work on it but we did do a little -- we considered it the county's." Biddle concluded, "I think -- no, I KNOW -- they need to get to this cemetery."

County Attorney Jim Witt promised to review what was presented by the Restoration Group, and to respond. Judge Ryder also promised to be "back in touch" after Mr. Witt reviewed the information. The cemetery access issues have been before the commissioners court on several previous occasions, and the County maintained that it is a civil matter between the property owners and the restoration group.