Help Us Restore Our Family Cemetery

In Derwood, Maryland, there’s a small, wooded hill where generations of our family rest. The Ricketts Family Private Cemetery—a space established in the 1800s by John Ricketts, a local farmer who set aside this land so his loved ones could be buried close to home, beneath the trees.

This is a place to remember our ancestors and keep them safe. Buried here are members of our families...people who helped shape the Derwood area and whose lives are woven into our own. SO many names...but we have this land in common:

Barton

Beall

Brigham

Carter

Collins

Crown

Crowther

Fugitt

Gaither

Gray

Hagan

Harter

Howard

Kinder

McIntosh

Mills

Mobley

Mullican

Painter

Poole

Ramsburg

Read

Ricketts

Rissler

Shaw

For as long as I can remember, our family members have cared for the cemetery. I have vivid memories of my Pappy meeting his brother at the cemetery to mow, pull weeds, and take care of this special place.

But time has taken its toll. The resting place of our ancestors needs care. The fence that once protected it has collapsed and is in desperate need of replacement. This cemetery holds our family, our roots, and our history. And I know many of you reading this are connected to it too—through blood, through memory, or through the shared story of this place we come from.

This fundraiser began with an idea from my aunt, Joyce Carter, who does lots of work at the cemetery and felt strongly that we needed to come together to care for this space—out of love, respect, and responsibility. I’m Lonnie Frazier, granddaughter of Oscar and Helen Carter and a descendant of Marchant Ricketts, and I’m proud to be working alongside her to help make this vision real.

With your support, we will:

-Restore and replace the perimeter fence

-Clear overgrowth and clean up the land

-Keep this sacred space in good condition for future generations

We’ll also be organizing a family/community yard sale to support the project. We'll keep you posted with details about the event and would love to have you join us!

This is more than a cleanup project. It’s about honoring the people who made our lives possible. It’s about remembrance, respect, and keeping our promise to those who came before us.

We hope you’ll join us. Every gift—no matter the amount—brings us one step closer to restoration.

With love and gratitude,

Lonnie Frazier & Joyce Carter