By Nick Buglione
"Betsey M. Pettit. Died 9 May 1895. Age 82," read the first lines of the faded epitaph, washed out from over 100 years of weather. Placing the flowers to the left of her great grandmother's final resting place, the Wantagh resident took a knee and gently put her hand on top of the stone.
The sheer emotion of the moment overcame her and, rising to her feet, she began to weep.
"It's hallowed ground," Wendt, whose ancestors hailed from East Meadow and other surrounding neighborhoods, later told the Herald. "I would like to see the cemetery maintained, and I would like more people to know it's here, to make people aware of their East Meadow heritage."
Actually, her great grandmother's tombstone is in better shape than some of the 35 others identified in the cemetery behind 493 East Meadow Ave., the former site of the United Methodist Church. In fact, the entire cemetery is in much better shape than it was over two years ago, thanks largely to the cleanup efforts of church parishioners.
Last Sunday, a group of about 25 them, joined by elected officials, gathered there to celebrate the work they have accomplished and reaffirm their commitment to continuing restoration.
Founded more than two centuries ago in East Meadow, the United Methodist Church made its home at 493 East Meadow Ave. since 1859, before moving to its current location up the block at 470 East Meadow Ave. in 1958. Though the Open Hand of God Church now occupies their old building, the Methodist church still owns the cemetery behind it.
It's not known exactly how many early parishioners are buried in the cemetery, but records from the United Methodist Church's trustees in 1899 indicate there could be hundreds.
"There are 80 plots. Each plot has a capacity of up to 24 people, so there could be a lot of people buried," said Chester C. Kelsey, president of the United Methodist Church's current board of trustees.
Known burials date back as far as the mid-1800s, with some of the deceased born as early as 1788. Two buried there, James Seaman and Robert Walker, were veterans of the Civil War.
Over the years, the cemetery had fallen victim to neglect and vandalism. Many of the headstones have been stolen or knocked over. A little over a year ago, the plot of land, overgrown with weeds and littered with trash, hardly resembled a cemetery.
"When I first came over here, the place was a disaster. It was totally overgrown," said Kelsey, who has been president for three years. "You could see that the kids got in here and toppled and stole the stones. This place was used for a race course for a little bit." Two years ago, however, United Methodist Church parishioners and relatives of the deceased decided to step in. Succeeding in getting it designated as a Town of Hempstead historic landmark, they organized four major cleanups of the cemetery and have since ensured loiterers would have a harder time getting in.
Hauling away more than 160 yards of shrubs, poison ivy, trees, briars and garbage during the four cleanups -- the first of which took place in 2000 -- church volunteers cleared the cemetery of major debris.
They also installed a new fence along Cambridge Street last year, closing an opening to the north of the plot that has long allowed teens and their go-carts easy entry.
Now, the United Methodist Church is hoping to go a step further. "Our vision is to really make it a very nice and presentable place that families can come or historians can come to look at," said Douglas Wood, vice president of the church's board of trustees. "Our problem, as always, is finances."
Wood's family roots in East Meadow date back to the early 1800s. His great-grandfather was one of the church's original trustees. Meanwhile, Eva Wood, a 1-year-old who died in 1860 and was buried in the cemetery, is a probable relative of his.
"We want to try to restore the stones that we can," Wood said. "We are in the midst right now of finding out exactly where the plots are, trying to uncover any stones that might be there."
Hempstead Town Councilman Gary Hudes (R-Levittown) suggested that the church enlist the support of local veterans groups, considering two veterans are buried in the cemetery, and the Boy Scouts. Removing the remaining tree stumps, fixing the headstones and marking each grave with plants would make a great Eagle Scout project, he added.
"Today's rededication is both a look back and a look forward," Hudes said. "All the work that's been done up until this point cannot go to waste."
If anyone is interested in volunteering to help or making a financial donation toward the restoration, call the United Methodist Church at (516) 794-5855.
