JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — On a hillside overlooking the Indian River Lagoon, Peggy Trainer and Patty Gentile are paying their respects.
"We get to talk to mom and dad right at the gravesite because we know that they're watching us. And I just know that they're happy to be together," Trainer and Gentile said.
The All Saints Cemetery in Jensen Beach has been here since the 1890s.
Peggy Bach Thompson is a descendant of one of the original settlers.
"Every trip I'd make here, which would be many, many, since I was 3 months old, I always loved coming to this cemetery," Thompson said pointing out the gravesites of several family members.
There are nearly 5,000 people buried here. About one in five are veterans.
Joyce Menard takes her role as a historian seriously.
"This is to help people realize this is like an outdoor museum. It saves the culture of the community," Menard said.
But the cemetery is showing its age.
A new sprinkler system is desperately needed, so as a fundraiser for the cemetery, a book was created entitled "Our Veterans are Buried Here."
The booklet has 26 biographies.
Among them is the husband of State Sen. Gayle Harrell who served in Vietnam.
"It's so important to honor our veterans. They wrote a blank check to the United States of America," Harrell said.
Harrell is appreciative of the cemetery caretakers for their effort to honor our veterans every day.
"Those who are buried here served their country honorably. They are truly the heroes of this country," Harrell said.
The cemetery will also be open for self-guided tours through the weekend.
