Thomas Greenback was buried in the cemetery after accidentally drowning aged one and a-half years on February 28, 1870.
The cemetery is enclosed within Karen and Tony Glassford's Dougalston farm, about 10km northwest of Lauder, and the couple keep the graveyard records and historical data.
They need help identifying some people buried in the grounds, and hope to be contacted by descendants in order to undertake repairs.
Drybread Cemetery is still used, and anyone is welcome to access it through the Glassford's farm - as long as they close gates behind them.
Mr Glassford, who is the treasurer and secretary of the Drybread Cemetery Trust, said about 165 people were known to be buried at the cemetery, although some did not have headstones and as others were not known to locals, their descendants could not be found.
The committee hoped descendants could shed a light on some of the cemetery's mysteries and possibly help fund the repair and maintenance of their loved ones' graves.
"If families are willing to donate to the restoration of decendants' graves and headstones, or take individual repairs on themselves, we would be really grateful," Mrs Glassford said.
The committee's only funds were donations, and the Glassfords anticipated the entire upgrade would take years.
They planned to use an x-ray machine which is able to detect disturbed soil, to confirm whether people were buried in sites without records, although the machine cost about $1600 a day to hire.
A periphery of 140-year-old pine trees also needed to be removed from the cemetery as branches had fallen on graves, smashing headstones, and roots had moved or damaged graves and fences.
The removal of pines would also free up an additional 12 plots.
Mrs Glassford plans to have a website detailing those buried at the cemetery operational within six months, to aid descendants.
Historic information about Drybread would also be included on the website, which Mrs Glassford hoped people could add their old photographs or information.
"We've been surprised at the number of people who've visited the cemetery - three or four cars go "by each day in summer - and people are still buying plots.
"It's not a forgotten corner of Central Otago and we want to keep it that way," she said.
