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Stories of veteran service and sacrifice straight from the people driving today’s most important veterans causes and veterans organizations around the world. The show shines a spotlight on their inspiring projects making a real difference for veterans and their families, and along the way we'll hear the stories that drive them to do their best every day as they work to support veterans and their memory.
00:00:06:01 - 00:00:08:20
Speaker 1
Hey, it's Matthew Cudmore and welcome to Story Behind the Stone.
00:00:08:21 - 00:00:26:12
Speaker 1
Today we're heading to Franklin, Tennessee, where Army veteran Cindy Benavides shares how a walk past that overground lawn turned into a mission to preserve one of the most historically rich per square inch cemeteries in America. If you've ever wondered how one person can change the way an entire community remembers.
00:00:26:14 - 00:00:28:01
Speaker 1
This is the episode for you,
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Speaker 1
Cindy. Thank you so much for joining us and for the incredible and inspiring work that you're doing. We are all cheering you on. And to our listeners, thanks for tuning in.
00:00:42:02 - 00:01:02:00
Speaker 1
Welcome to Story Behind the Stone, a show where we talk service, sacrifice and story. Connecting you with historical and veterans causes. Organizations around the world that are changing the way the world remembers. Today, I'm so pleased to be joined by Cindy Benevides of Mallory Cemetery in Franklin, Tennessee. Cindy, it's wonderful to see you. Thanks for coming on the show today.
00:01:02:00 - 00:01:03:16
Speaker 2
Thanks. Thanks for having me. You know.
00:01:03:16 - 00:01:21:23
Speaker 1
You reached out out of the blue in 2023, a couple of years ago, and you just have the most interesting story. Tell me a little bit about how you ended up in Franklin, Tennessee and got attached to, I guess, what I affectionately call America's smallest but most important, most history per square inch cemetery.
00:01:22:00 - 00:01:44:23
Speaker 2
So I moved to Tennessee in the early 90s. And so I've been in the Franklin area for a long time. But it was, 20, 20 and, you know, lots of stores or businesses were closed. And so I had just gotten out to take a walk around and I noticed this overgrown area. Didn't know what it was.
00:01:44:23 - 00:02:08:21
Speaker 2
So read the sign and it said it was a cemetery. And I'm like, well, where is the cemetery? Because I don't see it. And the weeds were super tall, so I couldn't see any of the headstones. But I did read the sign, and I am an Army veteran, and so I felt a, kindred connection with one of the buried there who is, Revolutionary War patriot.
00:02:08:23 - 00:02:31:19
Speaker 2
And, you know, I just kind of felt that tap on the shoulder. Hey, you can do something about this. You know how to use a weed eater. You know, we know how to mow the lawn. You can do this. And so, I reached out to someone that was named on the sign and, went to the local hardware store and bought a battery operated weed eater and just started whittling away at the weeds.
00:02:31:21 - 00:02:55:15
Speaker 2
And slowly but surely, the headstones started to appear. And so once that became manageable, I was out there every weekend just trying to get the weeds down. And, that kind of led to now I can see the headstones, but I can't read them because they're all black and different, you know, discoloration. So I don't know what they say.
00:02:55:17 - 00:03:17:06
Speaker 2
And so then started my attending preservation workshops to try to figure out how to learn how to clean up these headstones. And, that kind of started my love for preservation, for preservation work. You know, I ask people sometimes to join me or, like, I say, well, what are your hobbies? You know? What do you like to do?
00:03:17:07 - 00:03:39:03
Speaker 2
What gets you excited? You know, to wake up every morning? And when I mentioned the cemetery, they kind of went, oh, that is me. The heebie jeebies. I'm not doing cemetery work. But I do feel like sometimes we seek out opportunities and hobbies, and sometimes those passions find us. And so that was my story, is it found me.
00:03:39:07 - 00:03:41:08
Speaker 2
I didn't go. You know, it found me.
00:03:41:09 - 00:03:49:08
Speaker 1
You started this nonprofit around the Mallory Cemetery. Tell us a little bit about Franklin, Tennessee, just for context for listeners.
00:03:49:08 - 00:04:15:12
Speaker 2
So Franklin is a southern, state. In America, and it was named after Benjamin Franklin. So Benjamin Franklin was friends with a, early settler in the area. And so when Benjamin Franklin would come and visit, you know, his friend, when it was time for his friend to name the city, he chose Franklin. And so that's kind of where Franklin, Tennessee comes from.
00:04:15:12 - 00:04:22:03
Speaker 2
Franklin is situated about 20 minutes away from Nashville, so a lot of people are familiar with the Nashville.
00:04:22:04 - 00:04:24:19
Speaker 1
Can you tell us a little bit about Mallory Cemetery itself?
00:04:24:19 - 00:04:32:13
Speaker 2
Mallory Cemetery is located in a business commercial district. Used to be all farmland.
00:04:32:13 - 00:04:51:02
Speaker 2
John Mallory, who used to own over 200 acres in this area, wrote in his will that he wanted this, family cemetery to always be protected. So at some point, it got it got written into his, into a deed, which protects that cemetery.
00:04:51:04 - 00:05:13:05
Speaker 2
And the cemetery is about 100ft by 100ft. So there are nine, burial plots within, dry stacked stone walls. The cemetery dates back to the 1830s. Through our cleanup efforts, we have identified one unmarked stone that is outside
00:05:13:05 - 00:05:22:12
Speaker 2
of the dry, stacked stone walls. And so we're kind of in the process of doing research to identify who's stone that belongs to.
00:05:22:13 - 00:05:29:22
Speaker 1
So John Mallory had hundreds of acres in that area. Give us a little bit of context about, his involvement in the community.
00:05:29:23 - 00:05:56:14
Speaker 2
He was a farmer, first and foremost. But he was very community oriented. You know, he was, involved in helping to build our local, Spencer Creek Bridge in the area. So that, to me, just tells us a little bit about the kind of person that he was after he moved to the Franklin area and got settled here, his parents moved from Virginia and settled here, with him.
00:05:56:16 - 00:06:06:03
Speaker 2
And so, yes, in his will, he set aside that his, family, plot, would always be protected.
00:06:06:04 - 00:06:12:07
Speaker 1
It's a really interesting story. And you said there were nine stones, and they're all identified. They're all Mallory's.
00:06:12:07 - 00:06:22:14
Speaker 2
They are all Mallory. So it's it's Roger who is a, American war patriot and his wife Lucy. And then it's John and his wife and their kids.
00:06:22:15 - 00:06:31:12
Speaker 1
You've kind of been the caretaker for this site for for a few years now. And you've established this nonprofit. What are you feeling when you, you know, enter those low stone walls?
00:06:31:12 - 00:06:57:06
Speaker 2
You know, it's funny that you ask that because, when I walk in, I always, I always say, John, Roger, guide me to whatever it is you want me to do, you know? I say is, is this what you want me to be working on? But we recently, through several storms, have had a huge oak tree fall.
00:06:57:08 - 00:07:29:00
Speaker 2
It it into the. It was. The tree is in the cemetery, but it's huge. Limbs have fallen and have damaged a lot of headstones. And the the walls. And, when the tree fell, I went and I walked to the cemetery, and I just remember saying to the saying to the tree, you've done your job. You've been sitting here for or you've been standing for over almost 200 years protecting the buried here, you know, so I feel a direct connection with the trees and the buried there.
00:07:29:00 - 00:07:46:16
Speaker 2
So it just gives me a really good feeling to know that I'm doing something. I know in the 1830s, they probably had no idea that your Cindy was going to come along and be taking care of this land, right, of this area, but I feel like if they were looking down, they would be very pleased.
00:07:46:18 - 00:07:51:21
Speaker 1
What are the challenges that you've experienced? You've got got trees falling. You've got storms coming through.
00:07:51:21 - 00:08:18:23
Speaker 2
One of the challenges is, ownership. And so, in Tennessee, the, if the cemetery is located on a piece of land that is owned by somebody like Mike the landowner, they don't necessarily bear the responsibility of cleaning it up or maintaining it. They just have to give right access rights to who, you know, descendants or whoever wants to come in and maintain it.
00:08:19:01 - 00:08:48:18
Speaker 2
But one of the challenges has been, okay, now that we know the cemetery is not on any owners property, it is owned itself. We're kind of in a little bit of a gray area where the cemetery itself has to figure out how to maintain itself, right. So that was my driving force in trying to establish, a nonprofit that would put a strategic plan in place to ensure that the cemetery continues to be maintained for many, many generations.
00:08:48:22 - 00:08:55:12
Speaker 1
Do you see any need, the next generation kind of kind of visiting, like taking taking time to check it out?
00:08:55:12 - 00:09:20:14
Speaker 2
Yeah. So we, have these, regular community volunteer work days. And so people come out and help us, you know, raking and weed eating and stuff. We had a recent, young visitor, that Lee and she, you know, her eyes got really wide, and she said, I've never been to a real cemetery before. I remember just talking to her about the history.
00:09:20:14 - 00:09:52:01
Speaker 2
And these were real people, you know? And there's a lot of history in here. And, you know, these were early founders of this area. And so, you know, one of my things when people come to visit the cemetery is to try to remove that stigma that, you know, you can go and visit the cemetery. My my goal is to, make it a pleasant environment where people don't necessarily see it as, oh, it's a cemetery, and instead have the perspective of, oh, I'm going to visit a piece of, history.
00:09:52:02 - 00:09:56:20
Speaker 2
You know, their stories here to be told. It's the past, I think, talking to the future.
00:09:56:21 - 00:10:09:11
Speaker 1
I think that's so interesting. I mean, as a kid, I had a superstition, and I don't know where this came from. When when we would drive past a cemetery, I would hold my breath. Are there any are there any superstitions that you encounter?
00:10:09:13 - 00:10:30:04
Speaker 2
I have had even adults say to me, they will not go near that area. It's just, you know, they didn't give me specifics, but whatever they have experience or whatever their knowledge is, they just will not come near the cemetery. I'm a little bit more open minded, I guess. And and I'm like, I try to empower people to work within their, gifting area.
00:10:30:04 - 00:10:39:05
Speaker 2
So I'm like, hey, if you don't want to come out to the cemetery, that's great. Maybe you can help share our story on social media. Maybe you can help us do fundraising or help another in other ways.
00:10:39:05 - 00:10:46:23
Speaker 1
Before we started recording, you had a special visitor pop in over your shoulder. Your daughter. What is. What did she say about your involvement with Mallory?
00:10:47:04 - 00:11:15:10
Speaker 2
She loves it. She thinks. She thinks it's very inspiring that I'm out there doing this work and, sharing the stories. She told me recently. She said you get really excited when you start to talk about the cemetery. And I'm like, well, I think then then that's what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. You know, I remember I was out at the cemetery, one day and there was a two young adults walking by, and there were two women.
00:11:15:12 - 00:11:32:19
Speaker 2
And I remember they just kind of gave me a whoo hoo! You know, hurrah! And I was like, what's going on? And she said, you're inspiring. You know, I'm glad to see you're doing this work. It's inspiring to us, you know? And so, yeah, I think my, my daughter is proud of the of the work that she sees me doing.
00:11:32:19 - 00:11:40:17
Speaker 2
And I hope that it encourages her to get out into the community and do something, you know, of her own accord in the future.
00:11:40:17 - 00:11:52:12
Speaker 1
You made a comment earlier, before we started recording, and that you never would have thought to find yourself a staff seen in nonprofit for a cemetery. What does Cindy 1991 Cindy what would she say about what you're doing today?
00:11:52:15 - 00:12:17:12
Speaker 2
You know my mindset back then and and I do remember thinking, this is whatever you do in life, do it. Well, I do remember that. And so that inspires me today. You know, whether it's cemetery work or, you know, doing some other kind of work is whatever I do, I just want to do it. Well, you know, and I want it to I want it to help people.
00:12:17:12 - 00:12:35:04
Speaker 2
And so I've often considered myself a bit of a connector person. You know, if somebody needs resources, I'm like, I'm on it, you know, and I start researching and, and all of that. So, I feel that the 90s version of me would be very proud of the work that I'm doing.
00:12:35:04 - 00:12:45:09
Speaker 1
Cindy, when you're walking between those low slung walls with someone that's never been to Franklin and never been to Mallory Cemetery, what do you tell them about the significance of this site to the wider area?
00:12:45:09 - 00:13:12:14
Speaker 2
I like to tell people that what you see outside of the cemetery walls right now was not always there. It's very commercialized now. But I'd like to tell people that these are early settlers in the area, and I'd like to share, with them the things that they had to overcome. You know what I mean? To get to the land that we are standing on today.
00:13:12:19 - 00:13:30:13
Speaker 2
You know, I walk around and I'm like, well, they used to walk this land, you know? So I will look down and I'll be like, they were here. They were looking down just like I am right now, you know. So I want people to remember that, the Mallory Cemetery is a reminder of all of the people that come before us.
00:13:30:13 - 00:13:39:10
Speaker 1
I think it's really inspiring. What? You know, the whole the whole Franklin area has done for historical preservation. You must find a lot of like minded people in your community.
00:13:39:15 - 00:14:11:03
Speaker 2
The county has a an organization called the Heritage Foundation, whose goal is awareness and preservation. And so they're very active in the community. And they they offer, preservation workshops. So people if they are landowners and they have cemeteries on their property, you know, they can take advantage of the the tools and the information that they provide to learn about how to, you know, take care of the things on their land.
00:14:11:03 - 00:14:15:05
Speaker 2
So they yeah, they're they're great advocates to have in our community.
00:14:15:05 - 00:14:23:22
Speaker 1
You have this new nonprofit and you have these volunteer workdays just so holds having a hub for the community. What else are your needs?
00:14:23:22 - 00:14:49:08
Speaker 2
Right now? We're looking for someone that can help build a website. We're talking about putting together and adopt a plot program where, the community or, you know, you don't even have to live in Franklin, but anybody with a history, passion or a genealogy passion, or maybe they're just great researchers that can help us adopt a plot and help us research the stories.
00:14:49:10 - 00:15:15:05
Speaker 2
And with the goal of finding descendants for the buried there. And then, and then another part of the goal of the board would be to come up with a strategic plan that will help us to implement, fundraise, that will provide perpetual care. You know, we don't want the cemetery to fall into disrepair again. So we want to be able to restore it and then preserve it so that many generations can enjoy it.
00:15:15:05 - 00:15:18:23
Speaker 1
What are the best ways for listeners to support you and your mission?
00:15:19:00 - 00:15:41:23
Speaker 2
Some of the things that they can do, if they're local, they can join our community, volunteer work days. If they're not in the area, they can support us by, supporting our fundraising campaigns. They can also get involved by helping us to build a website. They can help us by sharing our story. You know, our goal is to find descendants.
00:15:42:00 - 00:15:48:09
Speaker 2
And so spreading the story far and wide would be extremely helpful to us.
00:15:48:11 - 00:15:50:12
Speaker 1
How can people follow you on this journey?
00:15:50:12 - 00:15:58:11
Speaker 2
People can follow along our journey on Facebook. We have a very active Facebook page and it's Mallory Cemetery. Franklin.
00:15:58:13 - 00:16:02:20
Speaker 1
Cindy, how do you see interpretation evolving and the future of interpretation at Mallory?
00:16:02:22 - 00:16:34:04
Speaker 2
One of my visions is to create a park like setting at the cemetery to encourage people to not be so intimidated by the by at the cemetery, and then utilizing modern technologies to help us bring those stories to life. You know, we attract younger generations, by, by offering, newer technologies and maybe using holograms and audio tours, you know, just to get people interested in that history.
00:16:34:04 - 00:16:52:09
Speaker 1
Again, we believe, and it does offer that kind of bridge from the past, the future and to the next generation as well. So we're cheering you on or wishing you the very best as you as you evolve the cemetery. You've already got it in such a great place. You're ready for this next chapter with the nonprofit at Mallory Cemetery.
00:16:52:10 - 00:17:01:22
Speaker 1
Cindy, I want to thank you so much for coming on the show tonight. It was so great to connect and, and just chat with you and just share a little bit more about what makes this place so special.
00:17:01:22 - 00:17:03:09
Speaker 2
Thank you. Thank you for having me.
00:17:08:22 - 00:17:28:08
Speaker 1
Thanks so much for tuning in. Story. Behind the Stone is available on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, and on the Rise Across America Radio Network on iHeartRadio. Audacity and tune in to search for wreath. We air every Thursday at 10 a.m. eastern on the Red Cross Radio Network. Thank you for tuning in.