HAMPTON, Va. — A Hampton Roads family is raising concerns about the overgrowth and lack of maintenance at Pleasant Shade Cemetery in Hampton.
Ruby Betts is one of the many people who have loved ones buried at the cemetery.
“It’s just been neglected for years," Betts said.
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Some of her family members are doing what they can to keep their loved one’s graves maintained.
“We weedeated, got it down to a manageable height, then we went back with the lawn mower," her brother, David McIntyre, said.
According to deed records in Hampton, the deed for the cemetery belongs to a man named Todd Sexton.
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News 3 did some research and tracked down numerous possible phone numbers and e-mail addresses for Sexton and his possible family members. News 3 called and e-mailed multiple times over multiple days but never got a response.
News 3 also found real estate tax records online that show a company called the Montross Company owns the cemetery and owed the city of Hampton close to $5,000 as of July 17, but it was unclear if there was any connection between Sexton and the company.
“To come out and see your loved ones laying in stuff like this is very disheartening," Betts said.
It’s not just disheartening for those who have loved ones buried there, though.
“Obviously, it’s disappointing to see and it’s embarrassing," said public historian Mary Kayaseluck.
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Along with being a public historian, Kayaseluck is also a member of a group that has been working for decades to document the estimated 15,000 graves and preserve the history of the historically black cemetery.
The graves include many prominent black names from the peninsula.
“I consider this vital work, maybe one of the most important things I’ve done in my career," Kayaseluck said.
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News 3 reached out to the city of Hampton to ask why the city doesn’t cut the grass and bill the property owner.
In a statement, the city said, in part, “...the private owner no longer exists and is otherwise unreachable; therefore, standard enforcement through the City Code is not a viable option.”
The city encourages anyone with concerns to reach out to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and try to get grant funding for the maintenance.
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