Woodland Cemetery Volunteers

10/31/2026

It was a great fall morning at Woodland Cemetery!

About 15 volunteers joined us this morning, along with one of our regulars, for a day of cleanup. Some had volunteered with us before, while others were visiting Woodland for the first time.

We were especially pleased to welcome volunteers from First Baptist Church of Richmond and the National Pan-Hellenic Council of Metro Richmond, along with a couple of individuals who came out on their own.

The volunteers put their time and energy to good use. Using trimmers and hand tools, they worked to uncover gravestones that had become overgrown with vegetation. Others took brushes and brooms to remove dried grass clippings from gravestones, making the inscriptions easier to read and restoring a cleaner appearance.

There was also a special moment when we helped one of our volunteers locate and visit the gravestone of her grandparents, who are buried at Woodland. It's always rewarding when we help families reconnect with their history.

A big thank-you to everyone who came out this morning. Your time, hard work, and interest in preserving Woodland Cemetery are greatly appreciated.

10/31/2026

He is buried at Woodland Cemetery.

Today, we celebrate the life and legacy of William Washington Browne, a visionary leader whose work helped shape Richmond and Jackson Ward. 🏛️

Born into slavery on October 20, 1849, Browne went on to lead the Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers here in Richmond, building it into one of the largest Black-owned enterprises in America. In 1888, he founded the True Reformers’ Savings Bank, the first Black-owned bank chartered in the United States.

His vision for Black enterprise, self-reliance, and community investment laid a foundation that Jackson Ward would build on for generations.

Happy 177th Birthday, William Washington Browne. ❤️

10/25/2026

Honoring IOSL Gravesites in Richmond # 116

in 1922, Alberta Nelson, member of the Independent Order of St. Luke's (IOSL) Evergreen Council, No. 159, passed away at the age of 54.

Little is known about Alberta Nelson’s early life, aside from the fact that she was born in Virginia in 1868. Alberta’s maiden name is also unknown, though records indicate she married a man named Thomas Nelson sometime before 1910, and that Thomas had passed away by 1920.

Census records and City Directories show Mrs. Nelson to have worked as both a domestic servant and as a stemmer at a to***co factory in Richmond during her final 12 years. In that time, Alberta lived in several different homes in the Church Hill neighborhood and developed a close friendship with a man named Robert Jones who worked as a driver for a wholesale grocer. Jones and Nelson were listed together as lodgers at a home in 1910. Shortly before Nelson’s death, she and Jones either lived together or were next door neighbors. Described simply as Nelson’s “friend,” Jones was listed as the informant on her death certificate.

Photo: Albert Nelson’s grave marker at Evergreen Cemetery, taken and uploaded to Find A Grave by Erin Hollaway Palmer in 2025.

10/24/2026

Another beautiful and productive morning at Woodland Cemetery!

We welcomed 1 returning volunteer, 5 first-time volunteers, and one of our regulars for a busy morning of cemetery cleanup and preservation.

We started by removing weeds and grass from the Veterans Memorial before turning our attention to locating sunken gravestones. We found three gravestones that we were able to dig out and clean off!

On our way to the wooded area, we stopped at the fountain to pull some weeds. Then it was on to clearing vegetation, where we discovered yet another buried gravestone. It took some digging, but we eventually uncovered it and cleaned it off, too!

One of the special moments of the morning came when two family members stopped by. We were happy to help them locate and visit their family members' graves. It's always rewarding to connect families with their history at Woodland.

Many thanks to everyone who came out and helped make it happen today. We're especially grateful to our first-time volunteers for joining us and making a difference at Woodland!

10/18/2026

This morning was a beautiful, crisp, and breezy one at Woodland! With the soil softened by all the recent rain, one of our regular volunteers made the most of the conditions. She unearthed three covered markers and found plenty of other buried treasures along the way—including large rocks, buried bricks, and some mystery pieces of concrete. It was a productive day of uncovering history and a great day to be at Woodland!

10/16/2026

It was a pleasant morning yesterday at Woodland for 8 volunteers from Enterprise Mobility. They along with one regular tackled several projects. They transplanted some yucca plants to the area around the chapel, they worked on some of the summer vegetation and they cleaned out the chapel. Our thanks to everyone who helped.

10/14/2026

90 Students, 10 Chaperones, and a Whole Lot of Hard Work at Woodland!

It was a warm October morning at Woodland Cemetery, with not a cloud in the sky, as 90 students and 10 chaperones from St. Mary’s Catholic Church school joined our four regular volunteers for a morning of service.

With the temperature climbing, everyone headed into the wooded area to tackle the summer’s overgrowth and haul fallen branches. Despite the heat, this hardworking crew got a lot done!

There were even a couple of exciting discoveries along the way. The students discovered and dugout a previously unknown gravestone and freed another from a tree had been slowly trying to swallow it. Every stone recovered and every area cleared helps us preserve Woodland’s history and helps families reconnect to loved ones buried at Woodland.

We are always delighted to welcome the students from St. Mary’s and are grateful for the energy and enthusiasm they bring to Woodland. We hope to see them back again soon!

A huge THANK YOU to all 90 students, the 10 chaperones, and our four regular volunteers who gave their time and effort this morning.

If you would like to volunteer at Woodland, please check the calendar on our web site for upcoming public work work days:
https://www.woodlandrestorationfoundation.org/calendar

10/10/2026

It was an active morning at Woodland for 3 returning volunteers and 3 first time volunteer along with one regular. The volunteers spent most of their time cleaning gravestones. We also found and dug out one gravestone. We spent time looking for a gravestone that needed GPS coordinates but was hidden in an area with long grass and didn't find it. We installed a new grave marker for a family and planted a couple flowers around it. Our thanks to the volunteers this morning for all their work helping to make Woodland look better.