Macon woman searches more than 20 years for lost relatives

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Fort Hawkins officials say many of the graves in the Fort Hill Cemetery are unknown. One Macon woman has been searching for the graves of her relatives for more than 20 years. She found some of them in Fort Hill.

“Most folks think Fort Hill Cemetery is unknown. They don’t know it’s there,” said Fort Hawkins Program Director Marty Willett.

Willett is sharing his love of history with others. He planned a walking tour of Macon’s oldest burial ground on Memorial Day.

“The Federal Road. The Place in Peril. The 200 year old road that connected Washington, New Orleans, right by Fort Hawkins,” explained Willett.

Among the people eager to learn about those who call Fort Hill their final resting place is 75 year-old Barbara Rodgers.

“My great-grandmother, she’s here and my grandmother is here, then I have a lot of cousin’s here,” said Rodgers.

About 30 years of research is in the binder she carried around the cemetery. It’s what she used to find her relatives.

“Grandmother? I don’t know where she is. She close by, they told me, but they never put a headstone on her,” explained Rodgers.

The headstone on her great-grandmother’s grave was destroyed a few weeks ago.

“Someone ran through it. She was kinda close to the fence. They tore the fence down,” recalled Rodgers.

Rodgers has every intention of fixing the headstone and finding her grandmother’s grave.

“So we can put a headstone on her grave,” said Rodgers.

Because she looked for years and wants to make sure her relatives receive the respect they deserve.

“I advise them to keep looking,” said Rodgers.

So that more people can be reunited with their families.

Fort Hawkins coordinators want to keep educating people about the cemetery’s history. They hope to continue the tour next year.