Melrose Cemetery on Highway 321 has been the final resting place for many Swansea residents. For years, numerous townsmen worked to ensure the grounds were upkept and funds were collected from surviving family members to prevent the cemetery from falling into disrepair. Many of these town residents who volunteered their time are no longer with us or are unable to continue their service.

Swansea First Baptist Church decided they would like to help ensure the cemetery is maintained by taking over the administrative burden. These volunteers had previously sent letters out to gather upkeep donations from families, scheduled lawn and maintenance, and worked with funeral homes to find gravesites previously purchased for burials. This will be the continued goal of our Church Committee.

Unfortunately, Melrose was not set up with an endowed fund to ensure future maintenance was paid for. Its upkeep (primarily grass mowing) is paid for with the generous gifts of surviving families. Other maintenance work on the property has generally been taken care of by our Church on volunteer workdays.

If you are receiving this letter, the records we received from previous volunteers show that you have family members buried in the cemetery. We are asking if you would please continue your financial support by making a donation to the Melrose Cemetery Fund, which has been established specifically for the upkeep of the cemetery. If you donate, please ensure that all checks are written payable to Melrose Cemetery. You may also donate online via our website if you wish to donate in that manner. Simply visit swanseafbc.com and click on “Melrose Cemetery”. If you choose to donate online, please return your completed donation slip (enclosed) so that we can ensure the accuracy of our records.

It costs approximately $5,000-$7,000 annually to maintain the cemetery. A modest financial gift by many people will help ensure we continue to show proper respect to those who are buried at Melrose.