The name Akin is not well known when it comes to Mentz history. We tend to think of names such as King, Buck, Rooker, and many others. But Akin? The story of Ethen Akin will be the subject of a upcoming column, but for the purpose of today’s article, we look to deaths in the Akin family in 1822 and 1825. It was in those early years of the town and village that Ethen and two of his sons passed and were buried in the “old”section of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. In a 1826 deed, this was called the “Akin family burying grounds”. It is the first mention of what would become the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery that I know of.

Between 1826 and 1892, we don’t know much about who maintained the cemetery. In 1892, the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Association was formed. A short article stated that the new organization had monies to purchase seven acres of additional land to the east, south and west of the “old cemetery”, in effect doubling the size of the grounds. The article stated that “this long delayed but much needed improvement will be thoroughly appreciated by our citizens.” Apparently the Association needed help, as Dawn Roe wrote about in her 2009 article, as in 1895 the Village helped to buy lands and finish roads, creating a “second to none” cemetery.

In 1952, the Association began investigating if the Town could assume control and ownership of Mt. Pleasant. A notice in the paper states that this was in accordance of the Membership Corporations Law of 1952. It’s an odd statement, but it may have been a reaction of a 1950 law which required all Not-For-Profits to re register by June 15, 1952. Some 50,000 organizations found themselves without legal standing after this date. Yet all they had to do was submit the paperwork to regain their standing, so this is a bit of a mystery. And the Association was in fairly decent financial shape, with assets near $15,000. However, the Town agreed to assume control over the cemetery and the Association was dissolved. The paper noted that Earl Moore had cleared and improved both the old and new sections and that the graves of the Civil War soldiers had been put into proper condition and marked.

The Town of Mentz continues to maintain the near 15 acres of the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. It’s quite the asset to the residents and a walk about the grounds is both a trip through personal memories and a trip through history. Yet, as much as the Town does, much has been left undone. As the years go by, the headstones sink, lean, and fall over. Many are broken, either due to vandalism, accident, or neglect. As of late, a disciple of Earl Moore has been repairing the headstones and markers. He asked that I not use his name, but if you visit the cemetery on any sunny day, you will find him digging out broken stones, straightening them up as best as possible, and even gluing them back together. Repairing the heavy stones is not easy. A chain winch lifts and positions the pieces, and a special epoxy is liberally applied. As the hoist needs to hold the stone throughout the day, one grave is done each day. As the glue sets, our friend turns to his other task, and that is finding everyone who is buried on the grounds. He pulls out a handwritten note card from a large box, and then searches for that marker. Once he finds it, notes are made showing who in the family might be buried nearby and also who is buried to each side. All this will be somehow made into a map to help others find their way about the grounds. As Earl did all those years ago, he is working on the stones of the veterans and then, if time allows, he will move on to others. And our friend is doing this as a volunteer. The Town is helping by purchasing the epoxy.

If you are of a mind to help, take a walk through the cemetery and see what is going on. Nice words go a long way. A small donation will help to pay for more epoxy and other materials needed for the work. The board of the Historical Society has decided to put a special emphasis on this work and the history of the cemetery by developing cemetery walks and creating a page on the website. You can use our website to make a donation or mail it to the Town offices.