In addition to holding a flag-raising ceremony and a volunteer clean up day at the Milton Benevolent Cemetery on Saturday, Bill Bledsoe, the manager of the burial ground, was recognized for his volunteer efforts by elected officials from the City of Milton. Bledsoe said he was caught by surprise when he received the recognition from MiltonCity Council Member Patsy Lunsford.
“That is twice in a month that I have been recognized by an organization for my volunteer work and I totally did not expect it,” Bledsoe said. “I just do it because I love it.”
The Marine Corps League, based in Pensacola, also recognized Bledsoe for his volunteerism as well, he said.
An appreciative Lunsford credited Bledsoe for bringing the cemetery up to par by mapping out the graveyard and maintaining the historical site’s records.
“It makes me feel good to see Milton taken care of and he does this all for nothing,” Lunsford said.
Fellow Marine Corps League member, Jo Ann Gossett joined her family in volunteering at the event. Gossett said she is happy to support her neighborhood.
“I am very pleased to be part of this community,” she said. “I can’t say enough about it here. I would never go back to Connecticut.”
In addition to the Marine Corps League, members of the Milton High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps were among the volunteers at the event. Bledsoe and other cemetery officials also encourage volunteers and residents to ‘Adopt a Plot.’ This program allows residents to maintain a burial site which has no one. The board is also seeking monetary donations to purchase a biological cleaning solution called D/2 to clean older headstones from mold and fungus. For more information on the cemetery and the volunteer programs, contact Bill Bledsoe at 686-1122. Check out our Photo Gallery.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Honoring those who came before