Our Legacy in Film

---

They began with the foundation, honoring their ancestors who came before them.   “This year’s gala is more than a celebration – it is a mission,” said Andrea McCray, president of Friends of Crystal Memorial Gardens Cemetery 

Dozens of families came together on Saturday, Nov. 22, for a joyful mix of baking, art, and community connection 

Volunteers and researchers gathered recently at Crystal Memorial Gardens Cemetery to continue efforts to locate sunken and unmarked graves using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), revealing deeper layers of the cemetery’s long-hidden history. 

Just outside Crystal River city limits, off Citrus Avenue, lies a Black cemetery rich in history with stories and lessons just waiting to be unearthed. Because of segregation, cemeteries were divided racially, and Blacks were not authorized to be buried within the city limits. 

 Veterans honored | Local News | chronicleonline.com 

The inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Gala in January 2024 was a community-building, fundraising, and honoring event...

State Senator Ingoglia visits historic cemetery. Resting place unknown to many.

Friends of Crystal Memorial Gardens plan 2024 MLK Jr. Leadership Gala to honor their ancestors, benefit the cemetery

More than 50 community members cleaned up Crystal Memorial Gardens Cemetery 

On a recent Saturday morning, Oysters Restaurant owner William Bunch set up his equipment on the hallowed grounds of what is historically know 

Volunteers at Crystal Memorial Gardens Cemetery braved Saturday’s heat and humidity to come together for the second organized cleanup there. 

The unbearable summer heat and a blazing sun couldn’t keep Essie McKinnon from removing the thick vines that had grown across