OAK CREEK, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A local family is asking for help to protect a piece of history that means everything to them.

For generations, they’ve cared for Independent Cemetery, where their loved ones are buried. 

Now, they say the work is getting harder and they’re hoping the community will step up to help keep its legacy alive. 

CBS 58

The cemetery has stood in Oak Creek since 1888. Mark Honadel, along with his sister and their 91-year-old mother, has cared for the grounds for decades. 

“You can see the years, 1911 -- people have been here for quite some time,” he said.

Many of the names on the headstones are deeply familiar to him.

“This first row that you see here are very familiar names to us because we grew up with these people,” he said.

His family’s roots in the area go back even further to 1840.

“We were here before Wisconsin was a state, so it’s cool, we’re considered a pioneer family,” he said.

But as the family has gotten older, the physical demands of maintaining the cemetery have become more challenging.

“That’s our problem is keeping it nice, keeping it maintained for other people that want to rest here,” he said.

The family is now asking for volunteers to help with regular upkeep, including trimming shrubs and mowing the lawn.

“Cut the shrubs along the tree line, we need a good lawnmower guy to come to cut the grass every couple weeks,” he said.

They also say improvements are needed to make the cemetery more accessible. A new gravel driveway would help prevent vehicles from getting stuck during services.

“Hearses are heavy, that's a very heavy automobile. If they come here and the ground’s a little too soft, mushy, and muddy, they get stuck,” he said.

There are still about 90 plots available at the cemetery. Honadel says preserving the space isn’t just about honoring the past, it’s about caring for the families who will one day be laid to rest there.

“We have 90 plots for sale, so we want to make sure the people that come here next to rest see a nice cemetery,” he said.

CBS 58