Magnolia Cemetery is where generations of Meridianites have been laid to rest, and a group of current Queen City residents is working to ensure the cemetery remains accessible for years to come.

The 125-year-old cemetery contains the graves of more than 16,000 people, with many Meridian families having connections to the historic place. Among those buried there are the Key Brothers, whose flight lasting more than 27 days set a world record and pioneered air refueling technology still in use today, longtime Congressman G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, and singer-songwriter Paul Davis.

Magnolia Cemetery’s roads, however, are in bad condition and need to be repaired and repaved, and the group of concerned residents is hoping to raise $500,000 to fund the work, said Tracey Braddock Jones, chairperson of the Magnolia Cemetery Improvement Project.

The group has been meeting with the owner of the cemetery, Jay Crane, over the past few months to get a better understanding of what needs to be done and the resources needed to get it done.

By law, private cemetery owners are required to put a percentage aside from the sales of graves, 15%, and mausoleums, 5%, into a perpetual care fund to pay for maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery. State regulations governing cemeteries prohibit spending the principal and limit the usable funds to earned interest and growth.

Exceptions can be made allowing cemeteries to tap into the perpetual care fund principle, but doing so is not easy and requires special permission from the Secretary of State. State cemetery law limits such exceptions to “a major capital expenditure that will advance the perpetual care life of the cemetery without undue risk to the solvency of the perpetual care trust fund.”

Magnolia Cemetery’s perpetual care fund has about $750,000 in its perpetual care fund, according to the Magnolia Cemetery Improvement Project’s website, which doesn’t generate enough interest to tackle a large paving project.

Perpetual care funds also cannot be used as collateral or placed at risk to borrow against or otherwise secure funding needed for capital improvement projects.

To help fund the work and preserve the cemetery for future generations, a fund has been set up through the Community Foundation of East Mississippi to help cover the paving costs, Jones said. Those wishing to contribute to the fund can do so at cfem.org.

The group has also established an advisory board, which will lead the project and approve bids for work. Payments will be made directly from the Community Foundation of East Mississippi to the contractors.

In addition to giving through the community foundation, residents can also support the revitalization project by purchasing an engraved brick to be placed around the flagpole in the center of the cemetery or by purchasing one of six benches that will be installed in shady areas around the cemetery.

For more information about the project or the Magnolia Cemetery Improvement Project, visit magnoliameridian.com.