West Columbia, SC (Paul Kirby) – A group that calls itself the Lybrand Restoration Committee is asking for help to restore the old cemetery to a better condition this Saturday. That group will meet at the cemetery located on the east side (Lowe’s or Aldi’s) of Delree Street off Wattling Road at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 15, 2020. The coordinator of the event who calls himself John, “The guy in the red truck”, says that they hope to be through with the cleanup by 3:00 p.m.
The Lybrand Cemetery is not a perpetual care place for a final resting spot. It’s been alongside Delree Street for as long as most can remember. As time passes, weeds creep in taking over most of the graves. Those who have loved ones buried there usually try to do what they can to keep them at bay, but over time the wild things seem to just take over. Families age, some join their loved one in forever rest at the Lybrand Cemetery, or at some point, they just get old, tired, and give up. Then, nature happens all over again.
Every so often, someone like John, “The guy in the red truck”,takes an interest in the Lybrand Cemetery and tries to make it a bit more presentable. They mow, whack back the weeds, and clean around the old stones. Some of the graves have been there for decades, a century perhaps. This weekend, John and whoever will help is going to try and make the place presentable again.
John says that the most important thing to helping Saturday is you. Besides that, you could bring string trimmers, chainsaws, pruning shears, rakes, shovels, containers for hauling away trash, and gloves to protect your hands. This is hard work. No lawnmowers will be needed during this cleanup as all the grass is currently dormant. Someone is providing restrooms and water.
If you’re a community minded individual and want to help, the Lybrand Cemetery isn’t hard to find. From Augusta Road (Hwy 1) go to Wattling Road and turn left at Nick’s Gyros or the old Fat Boys restaurant. Cross the railroad tracks and in about one block, turn left onto Delree by the little convenience store. Just behind the lumberyard you’ll see the Lybrand Cemetery on your left. The better maintained one on the right is the Gibson Cemetery. That’s not it, but it’s a good landmark. If you must use your GPS, 3150 Delree Street, West Columbia, SC will get you pretty close.
