Thick vegetation has encroached the historic J.N. Tucker Memorial Cemetery off U.S. 1 over the decades, with vines and overgrowth obscuring largely forgotten graves.

When Bruce Rothschild and Michael Cheek visited the cemetery in December, they were shocked to see a rotted tree choked with potato vines had fallen atop eight to 10 gravesites — including two fallen veterans' tombstones.

Rothschild and Cheek have spearheaded five volunteer cleanup events and generated a restorative jolt to the historic African-American cemetery, which dates to 1912.

"We keep finding more and more unmarked graves that have literally been swallowed up by the earth," Rothschild said.

On Memorial Day, organizers will conduct a rededication ceremony at J.N. Tucker Memorial Cemetery, also known as Shady Oaks Cemetery. The event starts at 1 p.m. at 2701 N. Harbor City Blvd. in Melbourne.

The cemetery serves as the final resting place for at least 31 veterans and 261 other residents from the African-American community — including some of the original settlers of Eau Gallie.

"We felt an absolute need to get this place really parade-ready," Rothschild said.

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In 2009, 17-year-old Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy student Aleksander Bologna restored the overgrown cemetery as his Eagle Scout project, adding an archway, flagpole and benches donated by Keep Brevard Beautiful. Rothschild said they fell into disrepair during the past decade.

Melbourne City Councilman Tim Thomas, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, will serve as master of ceremonies during the rededication event. Speakers will include Mayor Kathy Meehan; Rockledge attorney Kendall Moore; Rob Medina, U.S. Rep. Bill Posey’s director of community and military relations; Rev. Lorenzo Laws of Greater Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church; and Rev. Julius Demps of St. James Missionary Baptist Church.

Leonard Ross and Andrea Fant will read the names of the veterans interred at J.N. Tucker Memorial Cemetery.

The cemetery is named for John N. Tucker, who moved to the area in 1925 and served as caretaker for more than half a century.

In case of inclement weather, Monday's event will move to Greater Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church at 2416 Lipscomb St. in Melbourne.

In March, Rothschild and Cheek and their wives, Joy and Ardell, filed incorporation papers to launch Veteran Cemetery Restorations, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to restoring neglected or abandoned veterans' gravesites.

Neale is the South Brevard watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1

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