Wright Cemetery, Chandler, Oklahoma

05/11/2023

Just a reminder that Wright Cemetery is still there and still needing help! Here is the Find-a-Grave page for it. If you look at all the hard Wayne Pounds put into the research of the people buried there, it is truly amazing the community is so willing to lose such a historic place. People who will be lost forever soon. Please stop by and read their stories.

The World’s largest gravesite collection. Contribute, create and discover gravesites from all over the world. Memorials in Wright Cemetery, a Find a Grave.

04/11/2022

Quick question: I want YOUR INPUT. You, the people of Chandler or those who have ancestors buried in this cemetery.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE HAPPEN TO WRIGHT CEMETERY? Do you want it to go away so that one day no one will remember it was there and a local land owner assume possession of it and use it how ever they want? Do you it to be maiantained? Do you want it restored?

No matter what happens to this cemetery, my ancestors will not disappear. I hope all of you want the same for some of your founding members of Chandler. But I would like to know if I should or should not keep up with my original plans? Or just take care of my family plot. I love Chandler very much and respect your opinions so please tell me what you think.

05/14/2021

Hello everyone...The past year has been interesting to say the least. It put a damper on the enthusiasm about Wright Cemetery that we had going. Work and volunteers came to a stand still and it was just myself and my family who continued to work out there.

I didn't seem to capture the support of the community. The land being cleared by a local business never came through so that pretty much stopped all future hopes of me getting the cemetery cleared and cleaned up in my life time. I am almost 60 years old and can't hope to finished the plans on the cemetery by myself. Having it cleared was a BIG thing! It meant that we could go straight to finding lost graves that are hidden in the trees and brush and restoring...Then maintaining.

I am disappointed and sadden to say that I have done all I can do. I had hoped to eventually give these forgotten people a memorial. A place Chandler could be proud of. And I had hoped that as I continued, people would get more involved. I know people have tried in the past and now I know why they never succeeded. It is a hard, daunting and almost impossible job without the help of local people.

I will continue to go out there and do what I can for the area of the cemetery my ancestor is buried in, but by myself, that is all I can do. Without volunteers and the proper equipment, I cannot go on...I hope my son will pick it up one day when I am gone and these people are not forgotten completely.

Thank you to all those who did help. I will keep this page up for anyone in the future who might want to step up and continue the mission.

10/21/2020

The book on Wright Cemetery has been published and available at the Museum Of Pioneer History. So stop by the museum and grab one. I am excited!

Wright Cemetery: The Oldest in Chandler Oklahoma

09/29/2020

Summer is over. I'd like to get back to my monthly (3rd Saturday of each month) visits to the cemetery starting in October. Pass the word around...Saturday, October 24th at 1:00 PM. Bring whatever you can carry for a approx. 1/2 mile hike to the cemetery. IE: tools, snacks etc...Pass the word and let's get MOTIVATED again.

NOTE: Our primary goal is to cut and clear trees and brush around headstones and to get all brush already cut into one big pile.

Please share this post.
**Edited to the 24th NOT the 17th.

08/01/2020

JULY UPDATE:

As you probably guessed, Covid-19 plus the Summer heat have kind of put a pause on the work at the cemetery. We worked pretty steady all Fall and Winter up until the quarantine this past year and I personally plan to start back up either in September or October.

Other than that, the only thing we got going on with the cemetery right now is waiting to hear from Ryan Tackett with RKT FARMS LLC on a date he plans to go out and clear the cemetery for us.

Just wanted to let everyone know that Wright Cemetery has not fallen into the forgotten category again.

C

07/18/2020

We are all guilty of trying every trick in the book to read old gravestones. Almost all of these methods can over time harm the stone. This is a hands off ap...

06/16/2020

We spent a day back in February, at the cemetery with John and his daughter, when they volunteered. He really cares about Lincoln Cointy and I hope you will consider giving him your vote in 2 weeks.

Two weeks from today is Oklahoma’s Primary Election. I respectfully ask for your vote for District 2 County Commissioner.

06/15/2020

Wright Cemetery's page just reached 200 page likes! Please share and see how many more we can get. The more people who know about these old lost and abandoned cemeteries, they more help we can get for them in the future!

This project is still going to happen. Things are just delayed. I may have to start from the beginning again due to the pandemic. We did make it out to the cemetery in May and did some mowing. And Debbie Mascho Foster was wonderful and finished the mowing. Things will pick back up in Autumn when it cools down and snakes are out and about as much. I really enjoyed being out there in Fall and Winter working.

I need to get back in contact with people who were on board with helping. If anyone who planned to help still wants to, please message me.

I am not sure if this has been announced yet, but local author, Wayne Pounds is in the process of writing a book about Wright Cemetery and researching the families of those buried there. He is finding out some very interesting things.

We were hoping to have his book out to correlate with us rededicating the cemetery. I wanted to at the least have the cemetery cleared by then. That is my biggest goal in all of this is to get the cemetery cleared.

I put the website on hold for the simple reason that I am not a web designer and wasn't happy with my progress. Would love to find someone who can make it professional. But it is still in the works...

I am not giving up on this cemetery so don't any of you either!

06/15/2020

I had no idea there was basement cemeteries!

Exploring the New Haven Crypt - New Haven Connecticut has a secret. Just over from Yale University, deep down under the Center Church on the green, lies an o...

05/21/2020

Right when I start worrying about where this is going and what I am going to do...Something happens to inspire me again.

Today I got the most wonderful text message of pictures, where Debbie Foster had went out to the cemetery and mowed and did a lot of clean-up work.

This made my day! Thank you Debbie!