WFAA-TV

OVILLA - While Ovilla is a fast-growing suburb just south of Dallas, an old and dividing southern tradition continues at the cemetery located in the center of town.

A chain-link fence in the cemetery separates the graves of the white dead from those of the black dead.

"It's pretty sad," said Amelia Huey, who stood in the black side of the cemetery Thursday to clear the spot for her mother's burial Saturday.

Even more unsettling for Huey and her family is the maintenance difference that can be easily seen when looking at the two cemeteries planted side-by-side. While the black cemetery has not been maintained, the white side is kept in a near-perfect condition.

"...I don't understand why whoever keeps that section of the cemetery can't keep this section of the cemetery," Huey said. "Why can't it all look nice?"

While local blacks said their side belongs to their community, the deed says both sides belong to the Methodist church next door. The pastor at the church refused to comment.

"Anybody can come and mow who has a relative in there," said Harvey Gillum, a volunteer.

Gillum said his sister and nephew help him look after the cemetery.

Gillum said the black community used to take care of the place, until the younger generations moved away.

But on Thursday, there was at least one extra volunteer, Bob Green, a white male and newcomer to Ovilla and member of the Methodist church.

"For a long time, our cemetery was in disrepair," Green said. "In reality, the black cemetery was better kept than ours."

Gillum said the church offered to take the fence down, but he said he needs other black families to agree.

"We've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go," Huey said.

E-mail greaves@wfaa.com