Betty Washington Lewis Grave Clean Up

11 Oct 2015                                    Stevensburg, VA

     This afternoon fifteen workers from the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter NSDAR, the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter SAR, and family members, performed grounds maintenance on the cemetery on the Oldaker Farm including the grave of Betty Washington Lewis, sister of George Washington and wife of Fielding Lewis.  The work party included three CMM participants, Len Cowherd, Bill Schwetke, and Ben Works.
     Betty Lewis was George Washington's younger and only sister.  She died in 1797 while visiting her daughter, Betty Lewis Carter, at Eastern View Plantation, where she was buried.  The grave was deeded to the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter of the NSDAR who placed the current memorial over her grave in 1927.

The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter, NSDAR, dedicates the memorial they placed over the grave of Betty Washington Lewis in 1927. The young girl, fifth from the left, is Lucy Robb Winston, compatriot Ben Work's aunt. Photo courtesy of Rev Betty Works Fuller.

     The work party cut down low hanging limbs from a nearby cedar tree and cleared weeds and overgrowth.  With 15 busy workers and machinery furnished by Gerry Schuck of Bugles Across America the work was quickly accomplished.

The Work party. Compatriot Ben Works is on the far right, Len Cowherd is third from the left in the back row, and Bill Schwetke took the picture.

Mary Ann Cowherd, Regent of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter NSDAR at Betty Lewis' grave prior to the start of work.

Work in progress, Gerry Schuck in the foreground with the weed eater.