2025 Cemetery Cleanups
Every Tuesday from 3:30pm - 5:00pm society members & volunteers weed-eat and clean up the cemetery grounds.
Come on out & help preserve African American History!
New Headstone Found: Hattler Reed (23 Months Old)
On June 6, 2023, Society members found a new headstone of a toddler while leaf blowing a sunken grave.
Hattler Reed, you will not die twice.
Hazardous Tree Removal
On May 30, 2023, members of the Society removed a large tree that had fallen on a fence and storage bins bordering the cemetery. For a link to a video of the removal of the tree on our Facebook page, please click here.
AARP Volunteers Participate In Headstone Cleaning Seminar & Tour
On May 26 2023, AARP volunteers participated in a headstone cleaning seminar at Mt Olive Cemetery, cleaning all of the Veteran headstones, as well as several non-Veteran headstones. The volunteers also participated in a tour of the cemetery.
The Society thanks AARP for providing so many wonderful volunteers for this special occasion and experience!
Missing 6 Project Installed at Mt Olive Cemetery
On May 26 2023, the Missing 6 Project was installed at Mt Olive Cemetery. This monument honors and remembers the 6 U.S. Colored Troops interred at the cemetery who have no headstone or known grave location.
Chris Shaffer of South Oak Designs created this beautiful and special piece of art to further beautify and preserve the cemetery. Thank you so much for your wonderful work!
New Military Headstone Installed for WWII Army Veteran Private Joe King Bailey
On May 23, 2023, the Wounded Warrior Project, Team RWB, and a few Society members, installed a new military headstone for WWII Army Veteran, Private Joe King Bailey, whose original military headstone has been broken for a number of years.
Thank you to all those involved in this process, including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which created and shipped the new headstone very quickly after the request was made.
Tree Sanctuary Signs Installed At The Cemetery
On May 24, 2023, the tree sanctuary signs were installed on 17 different species of trees at Mt Olive Cemetery. Please come on out and see if you can locate each tree sign, and feel free to post each of your photos of each tree sign on our Facebook page.
Hutton Monument Company Employees Plant Flowers Underneath Cumberland Dr Sign
On May 2, 2023, employees of Hutton Monument Company, Lydia Johnson and Abbey Metcalf, landscaped the flowerbed area underneath the Mt Olive Cemetery sign on Cumberland Dr. They planted a variety of colorful and beautiful flowers and also mulched the area.
Thank you to Hutton Monument Company and your wonderful employees, Lydia and Abbey!!
Hutton Monument Company Provides Hands-On Headstone Restoration Training To Society
On May 2, 2023, Hutton Monument Company provided the Society hands-on headstone restoration training today. We thank them for their time and expertise!
CMCSS JROTC Cadets Participate In The Great American Cleanup 2023
On April 30 2023, CMCSS JROTC cadets participated in the Great American Cleanup by clearing tree debris at Mt Olive Cemetery.
Thank you all for beautifying and preserving this historic and special place!
Private Joe King Bailey's Headstone is Replaced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
April 28, 2023
Today is a special day. Private Joe King Bailey, who is the only World War II Veteran interred at Mt Olive Cemetery, had his broken headstone replaced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. His new headstone was received today and will be installed later this spring.
"Private Joe King Bailey," the Society says your name aloud today, knowing you will NEVER die twice.
Rest in peace, Private Bailey.
APSU Students of NPHC Help Find & Un-Earth Dorsey Thompson's Headstone
April 18, 2023
To cap off a great day, students from Austin Peay State University's National Pan-Hellenic Council helped with finding and unearthing the headstone of Dorsey Thompson, husband of Kate Thompson. Kate's biography is located on the records and archives page of our website.
We say the name "Dorsey Thompson" aloud to make sure that he does not die twice.
Memorial Headstone is Installed at Cemetery by Hutton Monument Company
April 18, 2023
Today is a day of celebration and honor. It is a day that Hutton Monument Co. installed a memorial headstone at Mt Olive Cemetery, to remember all of those interred with unmarked graves.
We are so grateful to Hutton Monument Co. for the dedication, time, and care that went into this project. Thank you!
The Wounded Warrior Project Restores Cemetery for Great American Cleanup
April 16, 2023
The Wounded Warrior Project and Team RWB teamed up to assist the Society in cleaning up the cemetery for the Great American Cleanup.
It was a day of celebration, as two new headstones were discovered (Eddie and Charity Headspeth), the gathering space was landscaped and repaved, a memorial grave marker was placed next to one of the 16th USCT Veterans, Stephen Kimbrough, and a portion of the cemetery near Cumberland Drive was completely restored for further discovery of graves and headstones.
We thank the Wounded Warrior Project and Team RWB for your efforts and dedication to furthering the mission of the Society!
APSU's National Pan-Hellenic Council Helps Preserve Mt Olive Cemetery
April 11, 2023
Student representatives from Austin Peay State University's National Pan-Hellenic Council spent some time this week helping to preserve the cemetery by cleaning up tree debris.
Thank you all!
Mt Olive Cemetery Designated A Tree Sanctuary By The Tennessee Urban Forestry Council
December 14, 2022
Please come out to the cemetery this spring or summer and enjoy the beautiful trees, as they help provide a canopy of shade for tourists and visitors.
December 12, 2021
September 22, 2020
November 8, 2019
American Red Cross & Rotary International Volunteers help with Fall Plantings and the Cemetery Clean-up (November 4, 2018)
Volunteers from the Ft Campbell/Clarksville American Red Cross and Rotary International (Sunrise Club)
joined Society Members on Sunday 4 November to plant shrubs and flowers at the Main sign on Cumberland Ave
and at the Cemetery's Retreat Area.
Despite the persistent rain, our volunteers worked hard beautifying the gardens and clearing pathways throughout the cemetery.
The Society thanks the American Red Cross and the Sunrise Rotary Club!
Volunteers Flood Mt Olive Cemetery during the "Back To School" Clean-up! (August 11, 2018)
More than 70 High School JROTC Cadets and Students
from Kenwood and Clarksville High Schools volunteered on Sunday 12 August 2018 to help the Society conduct its annual "Back-to-School" Clean-up. JROTC Cadets and Students started off their school year by successfully completing an amazing Community Service Project.
Cadets and Students also teamed-up with the Sunrise Rotary Club of Clarksville
to install a new cemetery sign at the Flag pole and retreat area.
Thanks to all of our Volunteers!
The Society thanks the Kenwood JROTC Program & the Sunrise Rotary Club
Mt Olive Cemetery's Annual Spring Clean-up! (May 20, 2018)
Approximately 50 High School Students and Cadets from
Clarksville and Kenwood High Schools volunteered on Sunday 20 May 2018 to help the Society conduct its annual Spring Clean-up. JROTC Cadets and Students teamed-up to collect downed tree limbs, fill graves and support a headstone restoration project. Following the clean-up the Society held a BBQ for the volunteers at Liberty Park.
Thanks to all of our Volunteers!
Eagle Scout Project Commemorates Mt Olive Cemetery (May 12, 2018)
Led by Scout Matthew Riley from Clarksville's Troop 525, a Flag Pole installation and Retreat Area was completed May 12, 2018.
The Society is extremely proud of Matthew's leadership and patriotism and congratulate him on his hard work and dedication.
Well Done!
Clarksville's JROTC Cadets & Students Conduct Storm Clean-Up at Mt Olive (May 12, 2018)
CMCSS JROTC Cadets from Kenwood, Montgomery-Central and West Creek High Schools and students from Clarksville High School as well as local volunteers all pitched-in to conduct the Fall JROTC Community Service Project at Mt Olive Cemetery. The volunteers focused on the debris left in the wake of the hurricane storm damage. Cadets and students worked tirelessly as they retrieved downed trees and branches.
A team of cadets also worked on filling-in graves and clearing overgrowth from around the headstones.
The City of Clarksville Street Department supported the Clean-up as well with a very professional pick-up.
The Society thanks everyone that participated in the planning and execution of this Community Service Project.
Well Done Clarksville!
Clarksville's JROTC Conduct Massive Community Service Project (August 27, 2017)
On Sunday, 27 August 2017, cadets from both Kenwood and Clarksville High School JROTC Programs performed a massive Community Service Project in support of the preservation and restoration efforts at Mt Olive Cemetery.
Cadets performed area beautification, general clean-up and grave restoration work. During this project, one cadet from Kenwood discovered a gravestone in the undergrowth.
It was determined that this grave was in fact a Civil War US Colored Troop that had not been previously identified or accounted for in the County’s Records, or in the Mt Olive Preservation Society’s archives.
This was a certainly one of the highlights of the day!
As fellow Americans and citizens of Montgomery County, we can all be proud of these young students, leaders and patriots! These cadets displayed amazing team work, personal discipline and enormous civic pride in caring for the cemetery grounds.
The Society commends the JROTC instructors for their leadership and for the examples they set for our High School Students!
Well Done Cadets!
Restoration & Research at Mt Olive (August 13, 2017)
Mt Olive Historian Phyllis Smith and volunteer Mr. Larry Wells (of the Clarksville Buffalo Soldiers Association) record the GPS coordinates and locations of the US Veterans interred at Mt Olive.
The Society is creating a Educational Self-Guided Tour/Map of the Cemetery so that fellow citizens and Veterans can visit and pay respects to our Nation's Veterans.
The project is expected to be completed at the end of August 2017.
Mt Olive Cemetery Property
Mt Olive Cemetery Property - Ground Penetrating Radar Overview
The photo above was taken using Ground Penetrating Radar imaging. Approximately 70% of the Cemetery has been imaged. Each blue dot on this map represents a human's remains. Many of these graves remain unmarked.
Efforts are underway to have 100% of the Cemetery re-imaged so that the Society can re-baseline our research, doscumentation and preservation missions.
This image, at least in part, captures the essence of the Society's mission - to discover, document, celebrate and preserve the lives of those African American families and Servicemen who lay at rest in Mt Olive Cemetery.