Helping Hands Unify Mansfield On Day of Remembrance

On September 11, 2021, the City of Mansfield recognized the National Day of Service and Remembrance by inviting the community to serve. In the same spirit of solidarity that enveloped our country in the immediate aftermath of a day that changed America forever, members of the Burleson Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined forces with other local church congregations and Mansfield community leaders to clean and beautify a local cemetery which has a long and complicated history. In all, approximately 150 individuals (both young and old) participated in the effort.

The Mansfield Cemetery was established in the 1870s when one of the Mansfield City founders, Ralph Man, deeded land to Cumberland Presbyterian Church to be used as a place of burial. Over the years, a certain segment of the cemetery was reserved for deceased black individuals, some of whom were former slaves. This portion of the cemetery became commonly known as the “Mansfield Community Cemetery” (and formerly referred to as “the Old Colored Graveyard”).  For well over a century, the property existed as a segregated cemetery, with a fence installed to delineate a “white” side and a “colored” side. 

In recent years, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield purchased the property comprised of the Community Cemetery and undertook efforts to clean and restore its premises. Around 2012, a meeting on the cemetery grounds was organized to discuss the possibility of Bethlehem Baptist Church removing the old, rusted fence.  According to Michael Evans, Pastor of and current Mayor of Mansfield, disagreements ensued, and the fence remained. According to Pastor Evans, however, the fence mysteriously disappeared five or six years later. “We don’t know who did it.  I tell people, it wasn’t me, the fence just went down in the night.”

Due to years of neglect, efforts to maintain the property over the past few years were focused on the Community Cemetery portion. Yet as time has passed, it became increasingly difficult to maintain other portions of the cemetery as well.  When a recent request came to Mayor Evans for assistance in cleaning the entire cemetery property, there was some trepidation about asking members of the community to participate.  But with Mayor Evans’ encouragement, local churches and community citizens were quick to answer the call.  As Pastor Evans observed, “When we’re talking about helping hands, it’s not just about one side. There are common bonds we have and that’s what we’re experiencing today. We disagree on some things, but there are more things we agree on and that we agree should happen.”

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Among those participating in the clean-up effort was Elder Jorge A. Contreras, Area Seventy for the North America Southwest and North America West Areas of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Contreras noted that “Joining our efforts to serve the community with people of all backgrounds and beliefs is one of the greatest ways for us to develop true Christlike attributes.” Also participating in the effort was President Kris Dearden, President of the Burleson Texas Stake. President Dearden observed, “This is a wonderful opportunity for us to serve with members of the community in which we live and also with those of other faiths. We all benefit in learning from, and serving with, each other.”

The efforts of those who participated resulted in not only a cleaner and more beautiful cemetery but, more importantly, a renewed spirit of friendship and community.