Nita (Lancaster) Bryan Demonstrates Perseverance!

By Angela Stout

25 July 2023

Nita (Lancaster) Bryan is the great great granddaughter of William Browder and Marinda “Mandy” (Roberts) Lee (daughter of Joseph Roberts).  Many years back, Nita began a labor of love by trying to restore and preserve the Hird Cemetery in Pontotoc, Oklahoma where William Browder Lee and others are buried.  Initially she had to deal with land owners adjacent to the cemetery to gain permission to access the cemetery.  Nita also made the effort to work with the Chickasaw Nation to ensure any Native American rocks were documented.  Through this effort over 67 stones were marked and documented with the Chickasaw Nation Cemetery Preservation Department.  Nita ensured a survey was done for the cemetery and was properly marked.  In 2019, Nita organized and lead an effort to clean the cemetery…tractor, rock, weed eating, tree clearing, brush killer applied and cleaning around gravestones made the cemetery look nicer than ever!  On 11 October, a tombstone was placed at the Hird Cemetery for William Browder Lee.  Many family members joined Nita at the tombstone placement and afterwards enjoyed lunch and fellowship. 

Though obstacles have tried to block every effort to get this done, Nita has overcame each obstacle and is now very close to placing a marker that memorializes those buried in the Hird Cemetery.  She recently sent a picture of the marker and it is quite beautiful.  Additionally, it captures historical information that others can read.  Well done Nita!

23 Aug 2023 Update!

Received news from Oklahoma that the Hird Cemetery marker has been put into place.  Nita's perserverance paid off!!!  It looks great!