NATCHEZ — The Worthy Women of Watkins Street Cemetery don’t mind getting dirt under their fingernails.

The effort to begin restoring the Watkins Street Cemetery began in 2005 with the formation of the Worthy Women of Watkins Street Cemetery.

Pulling weeds, filling sunken graves with donated dirt, picking up limbs and identifying unmarked gravestones, these women volunteer their time to bring the cemetery up to standard.

And in recent months, they’ve had some help.

The Adams County Master Gardeners got involved at the cemetery, and Tuesday, the group spent some time primping the site.

The spring cleaning is just in time for the cemetery’s 100th anniversary, set for March 21.

Worthy Women Treasurer Dorothy Sanders said the cemetery was purchased as the Natchez Colored Cemetery in 2009.

In the 17 acres of cemetery lie war heroes and Rhythm Night Club victims, who died during a major fire at a night club in Natchez almost 69 years ago.

On March 21, the Worthy Women will lead visitors on a tour of the cemetery.

A walk to the cemetery will begin on Martin Luther King Jr. Street at George F. West Boulevard.

Sanders said a bus or a caravan will be available for those who do not want to walk.

Once at the cemetery, the tour includes a small ceremony, she said.

The event is free, but Sanders said donations are welcome.

“How successful we’ll be, we don’t know,” Sanders said. “We try to have an ongoing financial drive.”

The event begins at 10 a.m. with registration. Participants will then line up at 10:45, and the march will start at 11 a.m., with the dedication service at noon.

Tours will take place from 1 to 1:30 p.m.