CLAREMORE, Okla. — Thanks to a Claremore family and a few helpers, the stories buried under time at a Cherokee Nation cemetery are being restored.
Tim Taylor, his two adult daughters, and volunteers from the Cherokee Cemeteries Restoration Organization (CCRO) achieved a long-awaited benchmark during the last week of October.
What was once a rundown and overgrown patch of Taylor's backyard is now a dignified and recognized resting place.
"That's what makes it stand out, is because our ancestors matter," CCRO co-founder Jennifer Sparks told 2 News via Zoom on Nov. 3. "And these descendants, their ancestors matter. And so, you really felt that at Chambers."
Chambers Cemetery is named for Cherokee nobleman Maxwell Chambers, whose family survived the Trail of Tears to settle on allotted land in present-day Rogers County. The land and family cemetery is located off Route 66, about eight miles southwest of downtown Claremore.
Plates from the Trail of Tears Association recognize the atrocities the family members buried at the small grounds endured. The last descendant to be buried at the site was in 1974.
"These resting places of our ancestors are very important for people - whether they want to find closure, whether they want to find that belonging, or whether they find that vision that propels them into the future," Deputy Chief of Cherokee Nation Bryan Warner said Oct. 31.
Taylor said he knew the land he bought only a decade ago included the cemetery. He wanted to learn more about cleaning it to do justice to the people buried there.
"In the whole grand scheme of things, this cemetery is not that old, but for us – for America – this is one of the oldest things I've ever been a part of," Taylor said.
Taylor added other than sprucing up inside the gates; he plans to work on ensuring access and security for visitors who want to pay respects.
Sparks said a grant from the Cherokee Nation is also expected to fund maintenance for the site starting in spring 2025. She added that the restoration group is always looking for volunteers to help and accepts donations to fund needed supplies.
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