ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, May 23, 1996 TAG: 9605230030
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-15 EDITION: METRO
A new and improved West Hill Cemetery will be dedicated Sunday after several Salem groups spent the last three months cleaning it up.
The Southern Cross Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, The Sons of Confederate Veterans Fincastle Rifles Camp No. 1316, the Salem Historical Society, the Friendship Garden Club and members of the Johnston and Griffin families of Salem all had a hand in the cemetery cleanup.
The cemetery had become full of weeds and graffiti after the group of families that owned it died off.
Salem resident Pete Lavinder had taken care of the cemetery for more than 20 years without compensation. But because of health problems, he is no longer able to keep it up.
Delores Smith, a member of the Southern Cross Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, first noticed the problem when she tried to locate graves of Confederate heroes of the Civil War.
Several of those graves will be dedicated Sunday. The ceremony will be from 4 to 5 p.m.
The city of Salem has agreed to maintain the cemetery.
- S.D. HARRINGTON
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