FRUITFUL VALE, Portland — For more than six decades a 71-year-old man who identifies himself only by his first name Melvin has been digging graves to the point of him getting the moniker Mr Dead, having prepared the final resting place for thousands of people.

Despite persistent requests Mr Dead refused to identify himself by his registered name.

“Weh mi seh? Me seh mi name Mr Dead, a dat mi name!” he shouted.

Melvin, who was among a crew of six digging a grave in Fruitful Vale, west Portland, last Saturday said he has travelled across Jamaica due to his profession.

“Me build vaults all over Jamaica; me make 13 graves a Banana Ground a Manchester. We go right through Jamaica a build grave. We go Manchester, Clarendon. A town [Kingston] me go inna May Pen Cemetery. Me come Portland and go a every cemetery,” he said.

He said in his younger years he sometimes worked alone digging graves, to the point where he did so at nights.

“Sometimes a mi one inna cemetery so till me haffi dig at night to get the job done. Me nuh fraid a duppy — dem used to me by now,” he said while taking a break.

Melvin, who was the oldest of the crew in Fruitful Vale, showed his strength over his younger colleagues who at times seemed exhausted while he was energetic digging the grave.

When asked if gravedigging is still profitable, with some families opting to do cremation, Melvin said he doesn’t believe that the majority of Jamaicans will ever embrace it.

“We rather the gravedigging because me nah bun nuhbody. Me grandmother tell me seh, ‘Earth we come from, earth we go back to.’ Me dig moul’ up’ grave [dirt] — me dig the hole, put the coffin down there, and moul’ it up back with the dirt on top. Those were first-time graves. These graves now are tank,” he said.

“Man fi bury, not burn. Me nuh believe inna burning,” added Melvin.

With concerns mounting of cemeteries running out of burial space he believes the Government should make more lands available to bury the dead, while disapproving of the suggesting for crypt burials in Jamaica.

The crypt is like a grave, except it is above ground and can be in a mausoleum (building) or outdoors in a cemetery.

“If cemetery full, dem fi buy more land make more cemetery; nah bury nobody inna no wall. Dat cyaa come a Jamaica, it cyah allow yah suh. You suppose to bury inna yuh yard. First time from yah pay land taxes,you bury inna you yard free [without paying a council fee]. Now, Government seh you must pay $6,000; dem sumn deh a rubbish,” he said.

He said sepulchre burials are no longer allowed in public cemeteries.

“They stopped it in the cemetery because the graves dem shallow, so it open up. You can build it at your yard if you can get the permit,” said Melvin.