PALM BAY, Fla. — A busy roadway passes by a hidden and neglected place of eternal rest — it's a contrast of the past meeting the present.

But when it comes to the Maxie Brannon cemetery, there's a man who is passionate about it's restoration.

What You Need To Know

  •  The Maxie Brannon cemetery in Palm Bay is located off Palm Bay Road near I-95

  •  The cemetery has not been maintained for a long time, and has fallen into serious disrepair

  • Dan Fisher, though, is trying change that

Dan Fisher is a talker.

For decades his passion has been ham radio, and working as an operator communicating with other hams and emergency officials during severe storms, like hurricanes.

As a former Palm Bay police officer, he's dedicated his life to protecting and preserving life.

"I got the bug when I was a kid," Fisher said. "My parents got me a short wave radio kit, so I put that together. I would stay up all night listening to all kinds of stuff on it."

While his work tends to coincide with history, he's also all about preserving history in his community.

One piece of that history is the final resting place for some south Brevard settlers from long ago.

It's called the Maxie Brannon cemetery, a small 15- by 10-yard plot covered by an old oak tree along Palm Bay Road near I-95.

It's an area Fisher drove by for years as a police officer but never stopped — even now, more than 53,000 cars pass by it everyday.

"A handful of people even know it's there, and probably fewer give it much thought after that," Fisher said.

There's only one unmarked headstone and historians say only two people buried here can be identified out of the estimated 30 graves.

Those two are Maxie Brannon's grandchildren, Moses and Myrtle, who died as infants in the early 1900s.

"It's neglected, it's overgrown, you can't even tell if there's an inscription on the gravestone," Fisher said.

Traffic will continue to whiz by, and development continues all around, but Fisher wants the hallowed ground properly maintained.

He is hoping that happens, to honor those buried here.

"This is a piece of history, and it's just buried and forgotten," he said. "I'd like to see it better preserved. Maybe the Boy Scouts can take it on.​"

Spectrum News spoke to officials with the city of Palm Bay, which owns the property, who said there are no immediate plans to restore the cemetery.​