JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A cemetery in Northwest Jacksonville, which has sat neglected and overgrown for years, finally received some help on Monday. But it wasn’t from the property owner or the city; it was a community member who saw our story and just wanted to lend a helping hand.
“I am just a regular guy here in Jacksonville with my husband Tony while we got the motors out," he said. “I just hate seeing neighborhoods get neglected. That’s what the problem is in Jacksonville."
Robert Abbott, a retired member of the Coast Guard who is currently furloughed during the ongoing government shutdown, grabbed a lawnmower and got to work, with the help of another community member.
Abbott, who doesn’t live in the neighborhood, said he saw News4JAX’s stories on the Spiers Brown Roberts Cemetery, which is located west of 33rd Street on Spires Avenue.
“I just hate seeing neighborhoods get neglected. That’s what the problem is in Jacksonville,” Abbott said.
Neighbors said the property has been neglected for decades, and city records show nuisance citations dating back to 1997. According to city officials, there are currently more than $76,000 in fines.
Neighbors have expressed frustration, saying no one comes to maintain or mow the cemetery.
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Abbott said instead of sitting at home doing nothing while politicians in Washington D.C. go back and forth over how to reopen the government, he wanted to make a difference.
Robert doesn’t like being furloughed, but he is spending his time trying to help his community.
“There’s a lot of people, you know, everybody just writes us off. Federal workers are dedicated, loyal employees to America, to American citizens. All of them,” he said. “I’ve never met one that wasn’t. So it’s a shame that, you, know, all these people are home and working without pay. I’ve got friends that are working without pay. And all of us need our pay.”
He said he wanted to do it because he believes the people buried there deserve some respect.
We introduced Robert to the neighbor living right next to the property, John Harmons. Harmons has lived here 60 years and has been complaining about the property and wanting it fixed up not just because it is overgrown but because he says drainage issues cause issues in the neighborhood.
Abbott didn’t finish his work on Monday because he had equipment issues, but he’s hoping someone else in the community will join him with some larger equipment to help him finish the job.
“We are just homeowners. We don’t have professional equipment and stuff so realistically for us I think we can get out to where the actual cemetery is and in that back part. I’m hoping the city will be able to convince the city to do that back park. It’d be really nice for a landscape company or somebody to volunteer because they could get it whipped out.”
Robert says he will be back out on the property to try to get more done.
In a recent code enforcement complaint, the city of Jacksonville said it was working to contract work to get the property mowed.
Property records list the owner as an Ohio-based construction company but we have been unable to find any contact information to call and ask about the property.