On Wednesday, February 16, 2000, five volunteers of the Johnson County Cemetery Cleanup Project, including myself, met at the Johnson County Library, in Paintsville, KY. Our mission was to clean the Spice Cove Cemetery in rural Johnson County. Taking 172 to Joe's Creek and then to McKenzie Branch, we reached our destination and was joined by a sixth volunteer.

After parking our vehicles and walking the short distance to the entrance of the cemetery, we were faced with a virtual jungle. The cemetery was so badly overgrown that we were barely able to make it inside the gate. The three men in our group, John Lemaster( from this list), Garland Lemaster and James Adams, went in first with chainsaws to clear a way for us to get through. The whining roar of chainsaws filled the air, as trees and bushes began to fall.

As the path began to clear, Irene Adams, Sherry Whitten and myself, started picking up the debris and making a pile. The sawbriars were horrible and had vined through the smaller saplings making it difficult to walk. Irene and her reap hook were amazing! The sawbriars and underbrush soon began disappearing and the area began to take form of a cemetery rather than the wilderness we had first seen.

After the section near the entrance gate was cleared, I began raking leaves which was next to impossible as they were approximately four inches deep and even more in the low spots. Under the first layer of dried leaves were rotting, decaying leaves and hard telling what else. With all the tree tops joining together overhead, the sunshine has not touched that land in years. The dampness made it so difficult to rake, not to mention the musty smell of forgotten land and decay, that I soon gave up on that particular task and began helping Sherry carry debris.

With the clearing of the underbrush and sawbriars continuing to progress, we began finding fieldstones and sandrock markers that had been buried under the leaves, probably for several years. We discovered an entire row of graves that had been covered and had the fieldstones not been unearthed, would have forever been lost.

Engraved stones were freed from the clutches of vines and sawbriars that were threatening to completely cover them. Tree stumps that were causing fieldstones and markers to lean, were removed.

After three hours of carrying brush, fighting briars that entangled me, and observing each of the other individuals absorbed in their work, I now stood in the middle of the cemetery. I am not ashamed to say that tears filled my eyes as I looked around and saw a now peaceful cemetery. Gone were the trees that had taken root and were growing in the middle of the graves, as were the thorny tangled masses that were threatening to overtake the cemetery. I was overcome with a great sense of accomplishment, pride and an inner peace that I am still unable to explain.

By working together, the six of us were able to give back the cleared, peaceful resting place that these long ago deceased so deserve. From dates on the stones, Spice Cove Cemetery is at least 110 years old. One stone had the following : "J. F. Barker January 9, 1889- October 21, 1890. " I am certain that there are older burials there that are marked only by field and sandstones, but we will never know the dates on those, nor for whom the markers stand.

At one time, a log church stood in front of the cemetery. I have not been able to find much on Spice Cove Church as of now, but am continuing to search. When the church was established is not known but a friend and relative, Woody Estep can remember riding on horseback with his father, around 1917 or so, to attend services. My mother can recall going to the baptizing of Everett McKenzie around 1950. I am hoping to find out the year in which the church closed its doors.

Before returning to my home in Maysville,KY, one of my uncles showed me locations of other cemeteries that he found while hunting. These have also been long abandoned and are now on the ever growing list of cemeteries for the Johnson County Cemetery Cleanup Project crew to work on. It was a pleasure to work with such a fine bunch of volunteers and I can hardly wait till our next project.

In the fast paced world of today most of our young people are straying from the way their ancestors assumed responsibility of caring for the many Family Cemeteries of their loved ones. As they continue to deteriorate, it is my devine desire to clean as many of these cemeteries as possible so that the heritage of our loved ones will not be forgotten.

Ann Lemaster-Applegate
- My blood runs through the hills of Johnson County and their soil flows through my veins.