In the Fall of 2017, the Mount Pleasant Lions Club took on a project to semi-annually clean up the historic, but long-neglected, Kefauver Family Cemetery on Route 116 (Jae Valley Road) in the Mount Pleasant area in Southeast Roanoke.
“On Route 116, motorists pass by a structure that could easily be mistaken for an old house foundation,” said Mount Pleasant Lions Club President Patrick Musselwhite. “It is located about 50 yards east of Carilion’s Southeast Clinic. Upon further inspection motorists may be surprised to find that the structure is an enclosure for one of Roanoke’s oldest family cemeteries. The Kefauver Family Cemetery dates back as far as 1814 with the grave of Peter Kefauver. There is a total of eight or ten graves within the walls.”
On March 17, 2018, the second cleanup was completed as members of the club removed leaves and debris that had accumulated in the cemetery.
“In addition, litter that had been tossed out along the roadside by thoughtless motorists was removed,” said Musselwhite. “Beer cans, soft drink bottles, liquor bottles and fast food wrappers made up the bulk of the litter.”
This will be a continuing project of the Mount Pleasant Lions.