A group of Melbourne High School students is working to restore the Maxie Brannon Cemetery, a 15-by-10-yard plot near Interstate 95 in Palm Bay that has been largely ignored for decades. Senior Kyle McLaren said the site, surrounded by a chain-link fence and an old oak tree, is the final resting place of Maxwell Brannon and other early south Brevard settlers. McLaren learned about the cemetery after watching a 2022 interview with retired police officer Dan Fisher, who highlighted its historical significance.
Sheila Hessinger, whose great-grandfather Maxwell Brannon is buried there, said she hopes the site will be preserved. Hessinger’s mother first brought her to the cemetery in her 20s, showing her the graves and explaining their history. "They’ve covered them up, unfortunately," she said. Only Brannon’s grave has a marker out of 30 total, with two others belonging to his children who died as infants in the early 1900s.
The cemetery lies along a busy stretch of Palm Bay Road, where more than 50,000 vehicles pass daily. Despite the area’s growth—new shops, restaurants, and gas stations have opened nearby—the cemetery has remained largely unchanged for over 100 years. Officials say the site is of particular interest to historians and local residents, though it has long been overlooked.
The students plan to clean the site, repair the chain-link fence, and document the graves. McLaren said the project is part of a broader effort to honor the region’s early settlers. "That is where my great-grandfather is," Hessinger said. "I want people to know this place exists."