Magdalena community celebrates Memorial Day sprucing up cemetery

Through the efforts of several organizations, the Magdalena Community Cemetery was spruced up, just in time for Memorial Day flag replacements.

On Memorial Day, while some were sleeping in on their day off, a small crew of friends and family spent the early hours decorating graves with American flags in Magdalena.

“These ladies and gentlemen, they fought for the rights and freedoms that we all enjoy now. We need to take time out of our busy schedule to honor them,” Rachel Buford-Wellito, Navy Veteran, said.

For Buford-Wellito putting up the flags is a family tradition that was passed on from her father and will continue with her youngest son, when it’s his time.

She recalled one year when she was stationed in Pensacola, coming home on Memorial Day with her sons and going out with her parents to put up the flags. The crew sat on the tailgate of their truck and had a picnic while her dad told stories about the army. It was a special memory for her because she believed it was the day her oldest son decided to join the army.

“My father was a Korean War veteran. And when he came back, every Memorial Day out of his own pocket, he would buy flags and he would go to the cemetery and put them up; He did it religiously. So when he was dying, he asked me if I would keep up the tradition and keep those flags flying.” Buford-Wellito said.

Magdalena Library

On Saturday, the Magdalena Library hosted a clean-up day at the cemetery. Twenty-two volunteers, including three kids, weeded and raked.

“The main reason we did it, is because now we got the whole cemetery list digitized again by amazing volunteers,” Yvonne Magener, librarian said.

They have also created a map and identified veterans. She said the plan is to continue to work on the project and put up markers.

“One gets lots of visitors wanting to know where their relatives are buried,” Magener said, “Our volunteers are appreciated.”

RISE Program

The clean-up began on Wednesday of last week with 10 males from RISE, a jail-based community alternatives program, working out at the cemetery for two days. Eddie Garcia, detention center administrator, said that the volunteer opportunity was a great for the detainees.

“They aren’t just sitting in jail not doing anything, it’s work and staying busy as they are doing time,” Garcia said.

He said it gives them a chance to give back to the community, work in a structured environment and is an integral part of their rehabilitation.

Garcia said that on that same day, three female RISE participants were helping bring “life” and “color” to the city pool with the mural beautification project.