Reflections on the work of the “Cemetery Stewards”
Garden of Peace and Remembrance at St. Anne’s Cemetery
On May 4, we will be celebrating the completion of our Garden of Peace and Remembrance, which represents only part of a much larger commitment by a small but valiant team of “Cemetery Stewards”, who saw a need and decided to do something about it. At the beginning of COVID, when we were all isolated in our homes, I decided to ask some friends from St. Anne’s if they would like to join me at safe distances in St. Anne’s Cedar Bluff Cemetery to cut ivy off the trees that were being strangled by English Ivy. Over the next few months, we saved many trees and developed close personal relationships with one another.
Over the next five years, we expanded our commitment to other needs that we identified in our cemetery, continuing to meet every Thursday morning to help revive this beautiful 17-acre “garden of stones”. As I walk through our cemetery, I am reminded that I am walking through the history of Annapolis as told in the stories of the people who lie beneath our stones. One of our goals is to make the majority of the stones legible and to document where they are located within our cemetery. Lately, however, I have come to realize that there are many stories that will never be known to us because those people have no stones. There is a sadness that I feel for those whose lives mattered to their families and to their communities, but whose stories are lost to us. These stories include the changing and sometimes challenging relationships between the Black and White communities of Annapolis over the 235 years of the cemetery’s existence. It is our hope that our new Garden of Peace and Remembrance will help our community honor all who are buried here and perhaps to heal old wounds.
Spending time among the ancestors as we have created and tended new gardens has given us all a true sense of purpose. I can’t help by feel that God is using our hands to create and maintain a place where people will want to come and spend time as they look for a sense of peace and solace among the ancestors in the natural setting that our cemetery provides.
Working with my team of “Cemetery Stewards” over the years has been one of the most rewarding experiences that I have had in my retirement here in Annapolis. I value their commitment to the work that we have done and the difference that we have made in this once neglected but culturally and spiritually valuable property. Most of all, I value the friendships that I have gained by working beside this group of wonderfully committed friends. Working among the ancestors who are buried in our cemetery has taught me to appreciate just how little time we all have here on this earth. I must admit that I have begun to muse about how I would like to be remembered once I join those who are already resting in our cemetery. Have I used my time wisely? What will my legacy be? Have I lived my best life?
Our work in the cemetery will never be complete, and we are always looking for new members to join our Cemetery Stewards team. Please know that we welcome all who would like to come and join us as we continue to work in this very special place.
Ginger DeLuca, Chair of the Cemetery Committee
