MUSKOGEE, Okla. — There’s a group in Muskogee on a mission to restore history. High on the list is restoring glory to the Booker T. Washington Cemetery.
Specifically, a crumbling mausoleum.
“Unacceptable. Disgusting. I’ve heard so many different ones. We all just say that’s not good. But people say it and then they walk away. So I’m saying, don’t complain, find a solution. You know, don’t talk about it, do something about it,” Shiron Butterfly Thomas-Ray said.
She’s the spearhead of the Muskogee County Cemeteries and Caretakers Association.
WATCH: RESTORING HISTORY: Muskogee group sets sights on Booker T. Washington Cemetery
“I’m just passionate about preserving history, culture and art,” Thomas-Ray said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 2 News Oklahoma listened when a viewer called to complain about the cemetry
The cemetery looks better than when 2 news crews visited it back in February, though one of the cemetery’s biggest memorials, the mausoleum, is deteriorating.
“It’s an eyesore,” Thomas Ray said, “You see the broken piece, that even has someone’s name on it.”
Those names mean something. All people who surely led full lives, but now their resting place is falling apart.
Thomas-Ray and her team want to fix it, but first, they need to get in touch with the descendants. They are looking for the Thornton family. If you could help them get in touch, Thomas-Ray is available at 918-348-9585.
“It just feels good to see people accepting what I’m talking about … and take it. What I want them to do is to take it and run with it,” Thomas-Ray said.
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