Volunteers are now needed because the guidelines of the Kentucky Cemetery Preservation Fund grant states that each cemetery can only be cleaned once through this program.
Originally, the board thought they would be cleaning 300 non-perpetual care cemeteries, but were told by Bell County resident Richard Matthews, who has done his own research on cemeteries in Bell County, that there were many more not yet documented.
The initial clean up of the cemeteries, which is the hardest part, has been done by Supervisor Rick Eastridge and a work crew from the Bell County Detention Center.
"Going into some of these places is awful," said Betty Hayes, a member of the Bell County cemetery board.
Hayes added that many of the cemeteries on the list have been neglected for many years, such as the Ball Cemetery in Middlesboro, which had not been maintained for over 50 years. The cemeteries are overgrown with brush, weeds, trees, infested with snakes, and some do not even have an access road. Other conditions found at many of these cemeteries are vandalized tombstones and crypts and sunken graves.
Now that the original cleaning has been done and easier access is available, volunteers are needed to perform routine maintenance so conditions do not deteriorate.
To find out more about volunteering, contact the office of Bell County Judge-Executive Bill Kelley at 337-3076.
Information about the cemeteries, including locations and a list of those buried in them, can be obtained from the Bell County Historical Society Museum.
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