Join local historians and community members in Talihina, Oklahoma, on March 13, from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M., as they locate and record the condition of the gravestones in the Old Talihina Cemetery. Communities Unlimited (CU) will be on-site to create a fully searchable database and map with individual entries for each burial location.

This cemetery dates back to Indian Territory and has served the Talihina community for nearly 140 years. The last known effort to record the information was in 1980 by the Poteau Valley Genealogical Society. Since then, the cemetery has degraded significantly. The cemetery contains five sections over approximately 10 acres and many gravesites are dedicated to historic Choctaws, Chickasaws, Freedmen, Masons, Pioneers, and even some of Isaac Parker’s US Marshals.

Creating a fully indexed map will help many descendants identify the locations, names, births, deaths, and other significant information of those buried in the cemetery. This much-needed asset will help preserve Talihina’s history. CU’s Geographical Information System (GIS) Team will lead the effort to create the map and mark it down to the individual plot allowing the cemetery to be digitally preserved. The map created will help prevent common issues for cemeteries like gravestone erosion and vandalism.

Volunteers are welcome to stop by and check in with officials to assist with the project. No special skills or experience is required; all volunteers will be given a task for the project.

“I am excited to learn more about the history of Talihina and to meet more community members.” Deanna O’Malley, Communities Unlimited, Community Facilitator.

CU will be working in Talihina until September and will be on hand to assist with any new projects that the community may need in the future.

 

 

Contact: Deanna O’Malley
Telephone 479-443-2700 ext. 259
Email deanna.omalley@CommunitiesU.org

About Communities Unlimited, Inc.:
Communities Unlimited, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1975 that works side-by-side with businesses, communities, and families in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas to create fair access to resources to sustain healthy businesses, healthy communities,  and healthy families. CU takes a community-based, regional approach to solving the challenges threatening a community’s survival. Our diverse technical knowledge and geographic expertise make CU uniquely qualified to collaborate with Southern communities. To find more information, visit http://www.CommunitiesU.org/. Communities Unlimited, Inc. is an EOE M/F/Disability/Veteran employer, lender, and provider.