Dresden Native Hosts 3rd Annual Sunrise Cemetery Clean-Up Day

On Saturday, August 17, Dresden native Jeniffer Green and the Dresden community gathered at Sunrise Cemetery to beautify the Cemetery in their 3rd annual clean-up event. The crowd was smaller at this year’s event due to bad weather. 

This year’s event was dedicated in memory of Tracy McHaney who was the person who Green credits for making sure that she was informed of everything at the cemetery.

“He was my person and he was diligent in caring about the cemetery and his presence was missed,” Green stated.  

Green travels every year from her home in Virginia to host the event. 

The event normally takes place during Juneteenth, however, due to the holiday falling on Father’s Day weekend this year, the event was postponed. 

Many members of the community showed up to help including Weakley County Mayor Dale Hutcherson, Kyle Hutcherson, General Sessions Judge Tommy Moore, Ricky Finney, Ben Herron, Rick Bailey, Edgar Harrell, Shelia McDonalds, Margaret Bondurant, Dyan Panah, Charlene Miller, and Evangeline McDonalds. Community members mowed, raked and gathered weeds, sticks and leaves and cleaned off the tombstones. Water and snacks were provided for those helping to clean up.

Sunrise Cemetery is a black cemetery located in Dresden, formed when cemeteries were segregated and Green stated that maintaining the cemetery is how the community honors the descendants buried there.