Over this solemn holiday weekend, Lawrence residents stopped by Oak Hill Cemetery to visit the graves of loved ones who have passed.
The Lawrence Times spoke with a few of them to hear about those they were visiting.
Wynona Floyd, 68, of Lawrence, visited the grave of her brother, Lyle Dane Floyd, on Monday.
Known as Dane, he was a passionate leader of the local Boys & Girls Club. He died at age 34 in 1993.
His legacy lives on in the Dane Floyd Keystone Club, dedicated in 2017. B&GC keystone clubs are the “ultimate teen program” for youths ages 14-18 to focus on academic success, career preparation and community service.
Wynona Floyd said her brother’s funeral at Plymouth Congregational Church was one of the largest in the city’s history because of the sheer number of his former students in attendance.
Diannia Affalter, widow of Lawrence Police Captain Daniel “Dan” Affalter, visited her late husband’s grave Sunday.
Affalter, a decorated officer who served as a supervisor in every division of the department over 33 years, was presented with the Honorable Service Medal upon his retirement in December 2008, according to his obituary.
He died in 2016 after a long battle with lung cancer. His son, Daniel II, currently serves LPD.
Kevin Wilburn, of Lawrence, and his family visited the gravesite of his grandfather, Wayman “World” Wilburn, on Monday.
Kevin Wilburn said people called his grandfather “World” because he played all the sports available to him. “World” was one of the first Black athletes to play on the Lawrence High School basketball team when it became integrated in the early 1950s.
He died at age 41 in 1975. The rose bush visible at his gravesite was planted there by his mother, Edith Wilburn, Kevin said.
Clarence Forkell came to the cemetery Sunday to honor his mother and sister. He’s a Marine Corps veteran who served in Vietnam.
In 1999, Forkell was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the same form his mother had when she died at age 63 in 1971. Forkell’s sister died at age 7 in 1944.
Note: This article has been corrected from a previous version.
