HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — A once-forgotten cemetery in Hamburg is now a place of remembrance and discovery, thanks to the efforts of local Scouts, their families, and the community.
Led by Eagle Scout Liam Tillou, the Scouts of Saint James United Church of Christ took on the ambitious task of restoring the church's overgrown and neglected cemetery, final resting place for some of Western New York’s earliest settlers, many of them German immigrants buried in the mid-to-late 1800s.
WATCH: 'It's miraculous': Scouts bring new life to old Hamburg cemetery
"It was overgrown, there were trees that were fallen down," said Tillou. "When I heard this was the property of the church that our Scout organization is chartered through, it was something really important to me to fix."
But the Scouts didn’t stop at clearing brush and restoring headstones. They took it a step further, mapping out the graves and creating QR codes for more than 170 plots. Visitors can now scan the codes to learn about the lives and legacies of the people buried there.
Shelly Weinstock, the Charter Organization Representative for the Scouts, said the idea came when she noticed many of the stones had been abandoned and were difficult to read, some with inscriptions in German. She and her daughter Liliana spent months researching and documenting the graves.
"A lot of these people were actually immigrants from Germany," said Liliana Weinstock. "They started this church, and some of them were prominent families here in Hamburg. We don't want them to be forgotten."
Reverend Paul Werner, pastor of Saint James United Church of Christ, said the transformation is “like night and day.”
“This is part of Hamburg's history,” he said. “All of the German-language headstones that are here… it's nice that people can come and pay their respects to our distant family members, our spiritual members, that are buried here.”
Tillou emphasized the importance of preserving the site for future generations.
"It's important that the entire community comes together, appreciates it for what it is, and makes sure that it continues into the future," he said.
To learn more about the history of this restored cemetery, click here.
