Headstones in Marietta cemetery damaged during Tropical Storm Zeta

MARIETTA, Ga - Many people across North Georgia are still cleaning up after Tropical Storm Zeta. In Cobb County, large trees crashed in an historic cemetery, taking out headstones.

The Mt. Bethel Cemetery dates back to 1870. Two mighty trees stood tall for many decades until Tropical Storm Zeta knocked them down right on top of a number of headstones.

"So sad because there's so much history in that cemetery," said Lynn Sauls Carlile

Lynn Sauls Carlile's parents and grandparents are buried here. After the storm passed, she went to the cemetery to see the damage.

"When I got there I discovered their lot was completely covered with all the brush and limbs from one of the huge trees," said Carlile.

Dee Dee Mize said there are eight generations in her family who lived in this area. It used to be known as the Mt. Bethel community when she was growing up. That's when things were a little quieter and there was a lot less traffic on Johnson Ferry Road.

"It broke my heart because there were so many people buried there that were part of the community that made the community," said Mize.

Many of Mize's relatives are buried in the cemetery.

"My great grandfather and my other great grandparents are there. Great aunts, great uncles, cousins, friends from church who were really like family to us because that's how it was back then," said Mize.

Once the trees are cut up and hauled away, they'll have a better idea of how many headstones are cracked and broken. Then will come the even harder task of finding relatives of those gravesites that are damaged.

"Some of the graves have been there since the 1800s. I don’t' know how we would contact any of their family, so that's going to be a monumental task," said Carlile

"We're all going to try to get together and find family members if we can, if not we're just going to have to do what we can do," said Mize.