Tombstones snarled in overgrown lilac bushes. Graves where there is no idea of who’s buried there. Missing and incomplete records.

These are a few of the challenges facing a new work group that has launched an effort to restore and preserve the historic Demersville Cemetery south of Kalispell.

Led by Flathead County Commissioner Cal Scott, a group of about 20 people met for the first time last week to begin focusing on current maintenance and record-keeping needs and charting a course for ongoing maintenance of the cemetery.

Among the members of the group are representatives from the Flathead County Genealogy Society, county officials, local historians, a surveyor and residents whose family members are buried in Demersville Cemetery.

Located on Cemetery Road, Demersville is the oldest known cemetery in the Flathead Valley. The first recorded burial was in 1888. The county has administered it since 1893.

While the Clerk and Recorder Office has been in charge of selling and documenting lots in Demersville Cemetery, record-keeping through the decades has been hit and miss, according to Clerk and Recorder Paula Robinson.

The methods of selling lots changed several times, with records sometimes kept on index cards and other times on maps. There are several cemetery lot maps, all with different configurations.

A lapse in record-keeping that began in the late 1920s resulted in some gravesites accidentally being opened for burials in later years because the plot wasn’t marked as used, indicating it was supposed to be empty.

One of the first tasks likely will be a boundary line adjustment, Kalispell surveyor Rick Breckenridge said. During the winter of 1996-97 when record amounts of snow fell, some indigent burials were done on adjacent county land outside the cemetery because the snow was too deep within the cemetery, he said.

Robinson said she believes establishing a working board of directors with bylaws for oversight of the cemetery is one of the most important initial tasks.

“Commissioners come and go and sometimes they have their own agendas and may not always support cemeteries,” Robinson said.

Several people suggested forming a nonprofit organization for Demersville Cemetery that could raise money for ongoing maintenance and record-keeping. The county currently is responsible for maintaining the cemetery.

Establishing a cemetery district is another option. There are two other cemetery districts in Flathead County that have mill-levy allocations for ongoing maintenance: Fairview Cemetery south of Columbia Falls and Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia Falls. Most other cemeteries are privately operated.

Volunteer help in maintaining the cemetery also is a possibility. Tom Murphy, a vocational counselor with Flathead Industries, said that organization could help mow the lawn and cut down weeds on an ongoing basis.

Finding the right balance of volunteers is important, said Jaix Chaix, who writes about local history.

After breaking into small focus groups to discuss a strategy for moving forward, several ideas were tossed out, ranging from sonar imaging to find unmarked graves to community outreach and education about the cemetery.

“Anything we do has to have community buy-in,” Scott noted.

The group will meet again at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, in the commissioner chambers on the third floor of the main courthouse. Those interested in attending should contact Scott at 758-5503.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.