Today the grounds are kept mown and some of the headstones that were in disrepair have been restored or replaced.
What was once a box hedge next to some of the graves is now a sprawling tree.
Masterton District Council has confirmed it does not hold a register for this cemetery -- so the women have been working with any church books or lists from Mac Larsen, now deceased, or Gareth Winter to gather information.
A plan of plots including handwritten names made a good starting point, and the women attempted to gather information including birth and death dates from church records to fill in the blanks.
Barbara moved to Mauriceville many years ago -- purchasing property at the end of West Road that included a derelict house being used as a hay shed.
She and husband Jim have restored the house to its former glory and added a wing that blends with the original dwelling.
Julianne's great-grandparents, Eskild and Sidse Pedersen, once lived in the house and raised 10 children there.
They were the original farmers on the property, and Julianne and her children complete five generations of Scandanavians who have lived and farmed at Mauriceville West.
"Now that we haven't got young children, we want to put something back into the community," Julianne says.
Julianne has an uncle, Charles Albert Larsen, buried in the cemetery in 1921. He died at five years old from meningitis.
"My mum never met this little blonde boy," she says as we study the headstone.
Barbara and Julianne now want to hear from anyone who may have documents or information regarding the cemetery.
They intend to erect an information board with what they have compiled, and would be grateful for any extra information.
Phone Barbara Barr, 372-5779, or Julianne Buick, 372-5736 if you have any information.
