Cherokee Nation awards $25k grant for Ross Cemetery restoration

The Cherokee Nation has awarded FRIENDS of Hunter’s Home Foundation a $25,000 community partners grant to complete the restoration of the original section of Ross Cemetery in Park Hill.

The foundation will use the funds to reset, restore, and clean the burial stones at Ross Cemetery, excavate stones hidden by grass and soil with the use of a historic map and list of internments, and replace missing stones.

In addition to repairing the historic monuments, FRIENDS of Hunter’s Home Foundation will also update signage and develop a walking map of the cemetery for both guided and self-guided tours.

“The protection and preservation of our historical sites is an important priority for us at the Cherokee Nation,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “ That’s why we will not hesitate to do our part and follow through with this initiative set forth by FRIENDS of Hunter’s Home Foundation to restore the historic Ross Cemetery, which is the final resting place for many beloved and extraordinary Cherokees.”

The cemetery is an historical site to the Cherokee Nation, serving as the burial location of many prominent citizens in the tribe’s history, including former Principal Chief John Ross and his brother and former Cherokee Nation Treasurer Lewis Ross.

The restoration project at Ross Cemetery is expected to begin in March.

The funds were made available through the Cherokee Nation COVID-19 Respond, Recover and Rebuild plan.

The objective of the FRIENDS of Hunter’s Home Foundation is to support and promote the historic Hunter’s Home site, formerly known as the George M. Murrell Home, and the related interests of Hunter’s Home for the purpose of historical preservation.

“When we were notified that we had received the funding, we were excited and relieved; excited to begin the muchneeded repairs and relieved that we now had the funds to do so,” FRIENDS of Hunter’s Home Foundation board member Jennifer Sparks said.

FRIENDS of Hunter’s Home Foundation has contracted L&S Monuments in Muskogee for tombstone repairs, while the foundation itself will handle inventory, excavation, cleaning, and maintenance for the project.

Those interested in volunteering for the project can contact FRIENDS of Hunter’s Home Foundation through its Facebook page or by emailing friendsofhuntershome@gmail.com.

Ross Cemetery was established in 1842 when John Mc-Donald Ross, who requested to be laid to rest on a hilltop overlooking the various homesites where his family members resided, was buried at the site at age 21.