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The Owner Of This Gonzalez Cemetery Has Been Dead For Decades. Now The County May Take Over.
July 9, 2025
The Jordan Cemetery in Gonzalez is 163 years old, and there’s no official caretaker.
It was founded by owner John H. Hamn in 1862, but he died in 1938.
Now, the Escambia County Commission is considering the use of public resources and funds to provide maintenance for the cemetery at 2300 East Kingfield Road. Florida statutes allow the county to take over maintenance of an abandoned cemetery.
According to paperwork filed with the county, the nearly four-acre cemetery contains 811 graves from 1862 to 2017. The “Find a Grave” website lists the most recent burial as being in late 2023.
Of those, over 100 were listed as unmarked in a 1980 survey. About 79 graves have markings that are illegible or have no inscription, while others are marked with just wood or simple concrete. There are 372 graves marked as historic.
Jordan Cemetery is listed as a Historical Cemetery in the Florida Department of Financial Services master site file.
If the county takes over maintenance, they will use staff and resources from the University of West Florida Archeology Institute to supplement the county’s maintenance efforts.
The county commission will consider the Jordan Cemetery maintenance proposal at their meeting on Thursday, July 10.
Pictured: The Jordan Cemetary on Kingsfield Road, as seen in undated photographs. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Comments
16 Responses to “The Owner Of This Gonzalez Cemetery Has Been Dead For Decades. Now The County May Take Over.”
I go past the Jordan Cemetery often. It does look somewhat kept up. Interesting that Florida statues state that the county will take over an abandoned cemetery. There are so many in the county that are not maintained. It’s sad! Hopefully, this will look like a cemetery should once again.
I use to know a contractor man thru my job who pressure washed the stones, & helped maintain that cemetery. I believe his name was Joe King.. & @ Kathy why leave it alone? Maintenance is required to keep anything from being overgrown & maintained!
I use to know a man who has since passed who use to pressure wash the stones & I don’t remember what other maintenance he told me he did there. I believe his name was Joe King.
This is a wonderful article because it lets so many people be aware of this cemetery. No one person can take care of a cemetery. For the ones that have been working on keeping the cemetery up, thank you. But definitely you folks need help and hopefully the county will step up and do its part.
My family owns 215 plots at jordan cemetery, the plots have been in my family for a long as I can remember. The last recorded burial in 2023 was my 5 month old grandson. This is where my family is at, we do our best to keep it clean, but help would be nice. I just wish they wouldn’t say it’s abandoned. My grandads was a minister of the same church as the original owner.
My family and I grew up (moved there 1973) a half mile down the road, so our Dad would take us (my two brothers and I) up there to clean up the front half where a lot of our kin folks have been buried. We have seen that cemetery grow bigger (with more people) through the years. I’ve since moved away (2010) from the area but my brothers still get our little area cleaned up. The Boy Scouts used to have a work weekend and cleaned up the whole cemetery once a year. I am glad to hear that it would tended to by the WF Archeology Institute will be the ones taking care of it, because of the fact that they’re so many Old Graves that will need special care. For us it’s been a long time coming, Thank You. Because one day I’ll be laid there to rest.
I’m lucky I am still able to keep our family plot clean, but most of the people there families have all passed on and no one is left to keep theirs clean. After all some of the people in there helped make this town what it is today. So a little respect and recognition by keeping it clean, in my opinion would be welcome. I know there are other cemeteries also with good people buried there, so maybe the county could keep some of them on a maintenance rotation.
My family owns a family plot there- my grandparents, my Mother, aunts and uncles and cousins are buried there- leave it alone
It’s surprising how good it looks considering the owner died 87 years ago and it hasn’t had an official care taker. I’ve passed this cemetary 1000 times and never knew there were graves in there that old.
I have several friends and coworkers buried there. When I visit the graves I clean around them. It’s a great idea that our County inmates could do the job of giving this cemetery a facelift. I hope the County Commissioners find the resources.
Who would have a record of the unmarked graveside, in case someone wants to place a marker?
So much history there. I have often walked and studied the headstones and imagined the history of those buried there. So many war veterans there from Civil War to WWII.
John
Just wanted to say thank you. I don’t know anyone buried there, but thank you.
Some of the people buried there I know, friend’s, acquaintances, some have able bodied, surviving family members, some do not.
I support the use of public funds, get the Camp V and ESCO Jail inmates out there.
My in laws are also buried there. Not too long ago (about 5 years) in-mates or
youth offenders kept it clean, but something happen with that. I know some families
keep their loved one’s graves clean but the older graves go lacking.
My Mother and Nephew and Cousin is Buried their. And other dear friends I know
This month on July 24,2025 I have kept theirs grave clean for 36 years. And the best I can of my other friends there.