Bear Creek Cemetery is celebrating the hard work including no few volunteer hours dedicated to cemetery and gravestone preservation.  Since 2010, the Collin County Historical Commission has awarded Bear Creek Cemetery four grants for preservation of its historic cemetery.  Bear Creek Cemetery utilized the grant money to fence the historic cemetery as well as to level and repair 42 gravestones.  Texas Cemetery Restoration LLC performed the repair and restoration work on the historic gravestones.  In addition, Empire Masonic Lodge 586 (Shawn Sutherland, David Stanfield, Joel Summers, Jeff Graham and Ed Engebretsen) volunteered by digging up the bases that support the grave markers in preparation for the repair and restoration of the markers, which helped to make the grant dollars go further and permit the repair of more grave markers.

Photo courtesy of Bear Creek Cemetery

According to the Bear Creek Cemetery website,

This cemetery was neglected for many years leaving several grave markers in need of repair. In 2011, Bear Creek Cemetery was awarded two grants. One grant was used to fence the south side of the cemetery. The other grant was used to level and repair grave markers in the cemetery in 2012.  With this grant we focused on the largest stones that were in danger of falling. 23 grave markers were repaired.  In 2012, Bear Creek Cemetery Foundation was awarded another grant to repair more grave markers in the cemetery. In March 2013, we were able to repair, level, and clean 19 more markers. These markers were very damaged and many were laying flat on the ground.

In addition, Boy Scout Troop 1814 from Nevada helped Bear Creek Cemetery safely clean most of the markers in the cemetery with D/2 Biological Solution.

Bear Creek Cemetery was designated a Texas Historic Cemetery in 2005.  Bear Creek Cemetery is located two miles west of Nevada, Texas.  There are a little over 180 marked graves, dating from 1873 to 1927.  There are also a number of unmarked graves.  The cemetery is currently maintained by the Bear Creek Cemetery Foundation with the help of volunteers and generous donors.

Photo Courtesy of Bear Creek Cemetery

Bear Creek Cemetery reports that future projects include fencing the west and north sides of the cemetery, repairing more grave markers, and GPR (ground penetrating radar) to locate unmarked graves among other projects and is seeking donations to fund those efforts.  A summary of the cemetery restoration and gravestone preservation projects can be found here.  Bear Creek Cemetery asks that folks please consider making a donation to fund restoration and preservation of this historic cemetery.  Bear Creek Cemetery will be celebrating all this hard work with a reception Saturday, April 27th.