TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS FROM BLACK CEMETERIES
IN BENTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE

(Revised Edition with Maps)
Compiled by Jonathan K. T. Smith
Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 1995

CEMETERIES AND MAPS

(Page 1)

CALVARY CEMETERY

Located in east Camden, Tennessee on the west side of Wren Avenue about a mile from court square. Cemetery situated at the back (west) of Toles Chapel C. M. E. Church. Several unmarked graves here.

ANTOINE CLARK
30 mos. old 1989

JOE TAYLOR
no dates

VEORA M. SIMON
Sept. 2O, 1900-Aug. 25, 1987
(Eastern Star Emblem)

VERNLL BOYD
1919-Aug. 1975
funeral home marker

DARY ONEL CRAWLEY
1981-1981

WILLIAM J. BOGGS
PFC US Army Korea
Jul. 1, 1939-Jul. 22, 1985

Double tombstone:
HORACE O. TRAVIS, Dad
1913-1970
PARFIENA TRAVIS, Mom
1914-1989
married 1932
Together Forever

UVONNE BOYD
PFC US Army Korea
Oct. 16, 1932-Apr. 17, 1988

E. A. BOYD
1900-1980
McClure Funeral Home Marker

WILLIAM RAY TRAVIS
Tennessee PEC US Army Korea
Aug. 20, 1929-June 3, 1972

VERNIEE DEE JONES
no dates

Double tombstone:
FANNIE MAE JONES
1915-1993
MAURICE JONES
1915-

JAMES COLLINS
no dates

MEATTA DONLOE
no dates

RUTH WOODS
Apr. 13, 1958-Dec. 18, 1991

DOROTHY MAE BATES
funeral home marker with dates:
1930-1974

MELVIN TRAVIS
194 2-1991
Stockdale-Malin Fun. Home Marker

ELDRIDGE TRAVIS
PVT US Army Korea
1935-1977

SAMUEL MOORE
1917-1987
funeral home marker

DRILLON STRICKLAND
1912-1993
Stockdale-Malin Fun. Home Marker

OANNA BOMAR
Feb. 1, 1914-July 29, 1971
In Loving Memory

BRIAN SCOTT MOODY
1974-1977
funeral home marker

EMMA BOYD
1925-1986
funeral home marker

ALMON BOGGS
Tennessee PFC US Army, W. W. II
June 6, 1919-May 13, 1973

BENJAMON PETTIGREW
PVT US Army World War II
Apr. 4, 1918-Jul. 21, 1979

JAMES THARPE
1938-1994
Oakdale Funeral Home Marker

Double tombstone:
Rev. ROBERT MONTGOMERY
Dec. 14, 1892-/August 12, 1982/
IDA R. MONTGOMEPY
Apr. 22, 11901-Feb. 6, 1970
Not our will but thine be done

 

(Page 2)

Double tombstone:
ROBERT L. HIMES
Dec. 10, 1919-Jan. 22, 1974
HATTIE HIMES
June 10, 1915-July 5, 1992
married May 13, 1947

SHERRY HUDSON, Daughter
May 10, 1961-Aug. 19, 1987
In Loving Memory

ALVIS GREEN
1935-1989
McClure Funeral Home Marker

MABLE R. CRAWLEY
1934-1983
McClure Funeral Home Marker

NOLAN CRAWLEY
1905-1982
Stockdale-Malin Fun. Home Marker

BROKSY TRAVIS
1909-1987
Stockdale-Malin Fun. Home Marker

KAYLA SMOTHERS McCLURE
Oct. 1992
Stockdale-Malin Fun. Home Marker

JAMES T. McCLURE
Apr. 17, 1927-Sept. 17, 1991

MARY FORD
no dates

MELVIN BONDS
no dates

CLIFFORD W. JONES
MATT2 US Navy World War II
Jan. 3, 1909-May 17, 1990

Also buried here: NOLA BELL TRAVIS
CRAWLEY who died at age 76, Feb.
27, 1982

LUELLA GAITERS
1908-1995

CHRISTINE BATES
1943-1995

JAMES ROWSEY
1909-1995

DONNIE L. HUDSON
no dates

OSHEA DYWAN HUDSON
May 9, 1986
(funeral home marker)

ALICE CRAWLEY
1941-1990
Stockdale-Malifl Fun. Home Marker

NAOMI GREENE
1932-1990
Stockdale-Malin Fun. Home Marker

CHARLESTON A. CRAWLEY
PVT US Army World War II
Jun. 6, 1898-Jan. 29, 1985

OCIE TRAVIS
1912-1983
McClure Funeral Home Marker

OURA RICHMOND PERKINS, JR.
SP4 US Army Vietnam
Mar. 27, 1947-Sep 7, 1989

JAMES C. EASLEY
1919-1983

Double tombstone:
MARY J. BATSON
1944-1981
ZOLA BELTON
1907-1984
Headed "McCLURE"
Mother and Daughter of James McCLURE

JAMES C. HARRIS, SR.
PFC US Army World War II
Nov. 5, 1919-Sep. 30, 1989

ELMER RUSHING
1931-1984
funeral home marker

WADE E. LAWS, JR.
1959-1997

LONNIE BOYD
19 30-1996

ELNORA ROWSEY
1922-1997

 

Click here for 2004 update of Calvary Cemetery.

 

(Page 3)

OLD TOLES CHAPEL CEMETERY

Located in east Camden on the wooded hill-side called Dobson's Hill at the-southeast junction of Stigall Street and Lumber Street. There are reportedly several hundred unmarked graves in this burial ground, this having long been the principal cemetery for black persons in the Camden area for several generations. Several years ago the site was "cleared" and some of the tombstones were moved around and not replaced at the appropriate graves.

HENRY MONTGOMERY
Born May 10, 1855
Died June 8, 1921
Gone to a Better Land

Double tombstone:
JOSH SIMONS
Born Sept. 28, 1822
Died July 28, 1905
PHYLIS SIMONS
Born June 20, 1836
Died Dec. 11, 1915

CHARLES E. BOYD
1939-1958

F. J.
son /of/ Allen & Lizzie McL____
Bo/rn/ Aug. __, ____
/Died/ Feb. __, ___
(a shattered tombstone which should read:
F. J. /Frank/
Son of Allen & Lizzie
McCLURE
Born Aug. 23, 1884
Died Feb. 25, 1915)

ELBERT NANCE
Born Dec. 28, 1892
Died June 14, 1921
Gone but not forgotten

LELIA wife of Jim DONLOE
Born April 2, 1889
Died Nov. 12, 1920
(a fallen tombstone)

A broken tombstone with only the base and lower part of tombstone intact; perhaps this was the tombstone of SOLOMON DONLOW (Aug. 15, 1837-June 17, 1910) which the writer took the inscription from in 1975.

ISAIAH D. /DONLOE/ (no dates)

ANN D. /DONLOE/ (no dates)

NETTlE McC. (no dates)
(This is the tombstone for NETTIE McAULEY, born May 19, 1900; died December 11, 1942)

 

Tombstone of JOSH and PHYLIS SIMONS

 

(Page 4)

FRIENDSHIP C.M.E. CHURCH CEMETERY

Located in south Benton County on the south side of Manley's Chapel Road about 2.5 miles northeast of McIllwain, Tennessee; burial area to the south and west of the church.

Double tombstone:
BIRDIE M. JENNINGS
May 15, 1905-Feb. 7, 1981
THEODORE R. JENNINGS
Feb. 6, 1902-Oct. 2, 1979
Precious Memories

Double tombstone:
LORRAINE MENZIES
May 4, 1932-
TOMMIE H. MENZIES
Jan. 28, 1912-Apr. 10, 1997
wed May 13, 1952

Double tombstone:
JAMES F. JENNINGS
July 7, 1929-
VERNIE M. JENNINGS
Dec. 18, 1906-Sept. 13, 1992
Together forever
/dates as inscribed on tombstone/

 

The cornerstone of this block church states that the building was completed in July 1989. Officials: JAMES JENNINGS, VERNIE JENNINGS, LORRAINE MENZIES, Rev. J. E. ROBINSON, Elder LOUIS T. PURHAM, Bishop JOHN M. EXUM, ERNEST MENZIES, ANTHONY MENZIES, HARRIS MENZIES, Rev. GENEVA CHERRY, Elder JAMES E. BROWN, Bishop WILLIAM H. GRAVES. This, in conjunction with Masonry Highland Lodge 269.

 

Click here for a 2004 update of Friendship C.M.E. Church Cemetery.

 

MOORE CHAPEL CEMETERY

Located in south Benton County on the north side of Manley's Chapel Road about 2.5 miles northeast of McIllwain, Tennessee. Almost directly across the road from Friendship C. M. E. Church and cemetery. Numerous unmarked graves here.

JOHN L. MOORE
Born Nov. 18, 1852
Died Nov. 5, 1923
We will meet again
(Masonic Emblem)

LUCY, dau. of Perry & Harriett PERVATT
Born Dec. 29, 1881
Died June 2, 1896

EUGENIA (Jennie) JENNINGS
1897-1984

JERRY ALMA MENZIES
SP3 US Army Korea
Jan. 13, 1929-Apr. 6, 1985

LEE A. JENNINGS
Jan. 8, 1872-Jan. 23, 1939

MAGGIE M. MENZIES
1880-1933
funeral home marker

POLEY, son of J. L. & Ida MOORE
Born Feb. 4, 1898
Died Aug. 11, 1900
The lovely flower has faded

BIRTHA, dau. of R. H. & Dora SHURLEY
Died Feb. 13, 1898
Aged 1 Yr. 3 ms.
Gone but not forgotten

WILLIAM McKINLEY JENNINGS
1896-1961

WILMA E. PARKER
1935-1993
Hardeman Service Fun. Home Marker

GLADYS M. PARKER
A2C US Air Force
Jan. 21, 1937-Sep. 19, 1975
funeral home marker has her as Mrs. Gladys Parker

 

(Page 5)

Double tombstone:
IENZIE MOORE
1897-1991
JOHN H. MOORE
1896-1977
married 1916

HALLIE MOORE
Apr. 1, 1911-May 18, 1991
In Loving Memory

MATTIE BROWNING
1925-1967
funeral home marker

JOE PAUL HAYES
9-26-1947- 8- 2-88
funeral home marker

ALLEN W. MOORE
8-28-20-5-28-88
McClain Bros. Fun. Home Marker

Miss JERRY MENZIES
1929-1985
Peoples Funeral Home Marker

Double tombstone:
GEORGE BARNETT
Born June 10, 1835
Died Feb. 2, 1885
EDMOND BARNETT
Born Jan. 20, 1868
Died 1885
(a fallen, broken stone)

ROXIE MENZIES
1900-1975

LULA MOORE
1926-1959

CORDILIA M. McHANEY
1931-2-29-1990
funeral home marker

Mr. H. MOORE
Died May 24, 1978
Aged 43 Yrs. 7 ms 2 ds
Parham Funeral Home Marker

JAKE GOSSETT
Born June 6, 1843
Died Jan. 22, 1909
Gone but not forgotten
/a broken tombstone/

WILMA E. MENZIES PARKER
Dau. of Ernest and Heusolene
Aug. 12, 1935-Oct . 3, 1993

MELVILLE T. MENZIES
1926-1992
Peoples Funeral Home Marker

BYNUM MENZIES
1878-1916

H. L. MOORE
Tennessee Cpl Co. 1. 506 ABN Inf.
Regt. Korea
Jan. 22, 1927-May 24, 1970

HESTER L. TURNER
1927-1967
McClure Funeral Home Marker

ORBAN D. MENZIES
Died July 18, 1983
Aged 73 Yrs. 8 mos. 16 days

CHRISTINE MOORE HOOPER
Jan. 26, 1932-Oct. 8, 1986

HALLIE C. HOOPER
1-26-32-10-8-66
funeral home marker

TINA INEZ DONLOE
Dec. 25, 1900-Nov. 1, 1986
Mother wait for us in heaven

Mr. WILLIE T. MENZIES
1926-1992    Age 79
Peoples Funeral Home Marker
Dates and age as given on the funeral home marker

DELLA HARRIS
6-18-23-1-2-85
McClain Bros. Funeral Home Marker

MOSE MOORE
1995-1962
/given as per marker dates/

HOMER HAYS
Died 1950
funeral home marker

ALICE S. MENZIES
10-2-1866-1-9-1959
funeral home marker

DWIGHT E. TURNER
1959-1967
funeral home marker

Double tombstone:
HEUSOLENE H. MENZIES
Oct. 30, 1913- Sept. 28, 1997
ERNEST MENZIES
Feb. 3, 1914-
married Oct. 9, 1930

 

(Page 6)

TWO TOMBSTONES AT MOORE CHAPEL

JOHN L. MOORE

LUCY PERVATT with verse,
"Lucy is safe in the arms of Jesus"

 

Click here for a 2004 update of Moore Chapel Cemetery.

 

WILLIAMS GROVE CEMETERY

Located in northwest Benton County almost eight miles north of Camden via U.S. Highway 641, Wright Road and Williams Grove/Rocky Ridge Road. Situated at the end of Williams Cemetery Road about .3 mile north from Williams Grove/Rocky Ridge Road. Williams Grove Baptist Church located just east of the beginning of Williams Cemetery Road. Several unmarked graves here.

Double tombstone:
VORIS McCAULEY
June 14, 1905-no death date
GLADYS M. McCAULEY
May 9, 1913-Apr. 5, 1981

HATTIE MAT WILLIAMA/S/
1914-1974
funeral home marker

GILBERT WILLIAMS
1912-1984
funeral home marker

AARON KELLEY
1935-1994
Stockdale-Malin Funeral Home Marker

GERTRUDE L. KELLEY, Mother
July 27, 1916-Jan. 16, 1974

FRED L. THARPE
1945-1966

JAMES WILLIAMS
1943-1996
Trinity F. H. M.

ROGER THOMAS WILLIAMS
1922-1980
Stockdale-Malin Fun. Home Marker

In Remembrance of
OPAL MAE THARPE
July 15, 1946-Jan. 11, 1989
Daughter of Robert and Bertha COLEMAN

HORACE M. WILLIAMS
June 4, 1910-July 10, 1989

TWYLA A. LAWS
1978-1980
Erected by Grandmother
Our Special Angel

NORA L. KELLEY, Mother
1894-1972
At Rest

GEORGE W. THARPE
Peb. 22, 1923-Aug. 7, 1985
Rest in peace

ODIE LEE THARPE
July 16, 1925- Nov. 23, 1996
Stockdale-Malin F. H. M.

 

Click here for 2004 update of this Williams Grove Cemetery.

 

(Page 7)

STRICKLAND CEMETERY

Located just south of Camden's southern corporation boundary on the south side of Timothy Drive. Approach to burial area over a short gravel road leading southwest from Timothy Drive.

ORA ANN STRICKLAND HOLDER, Mother
1907-1987

BERNICE M. STRICKLAND CRAIG, Sister
1909-1989
In Loving Memory

LONNIE PEARL STRICKLAND BOGGS, Sister
1915-1989
In Loving Memory

PEARLINE HOLDER REED
Oct. 27, 1928-Aug. 12, 1959

TOMMY L. HOLDER
1945-1987
Cox Funeral Home Marker

There is a Williams and Rawls Funeral Home Marker for Pearlie M. Strickland, giving her nickname:
PERTY STRICKLAND
Age 94

JAMES G. HOLDER
Tennessee PVT US Army, World War I
June 1, 1896-July 24, 1973

ARGUS CRAIG
Tennessee Sl USNR World War II
June 12, 1912-May 15, 1963

MARVIN STRICKLAND
PVT US Army Korea
1930-1987

Double tombstone:
PEARLIE M. STRICKLAND
Feb. 15, 1800-June 11, 1974
ALONZO STRICKLAND
Mar. 6, 1879-Nov. 27, 1963
married 1901


WYLY CEMETERY

Located on the south side of a neck of land north of Birdsong Creek in south-central Benton County. An abandoned graveyard, this cemetery sited in a wooded area was the family burying ground of JAMES WYLY (1799-1857), his family and their bondsfolk and later blacks buried here also. It was reported in James L. Douthat's KENTUCKY LAKE RESERVOIR CEMETERIES (Signal Mountain, Tenn., 1988), volume 2, page 7 (based on official Tennessee Valley Authority records).

Names of known blacks buried here:
Jennie Donninls* informed TVA that JOHN MENZIES, MARY MENZIES, WALTER MENZIES, CHARLES MENZIES and GEORGIA ANN MENZIES (although spelled Menzie in this publication).

JOHN, MARY, WALTER and CHARLES MENZIES were given as siblings of the informant; records reveal that these were children of JAMES MENZIES, born in April 1848. Jenny was in fact EUGENIA, another of his children. GEORGIA ANN MENZIES was given as "daughter" to the informant.

These graves were on an elevated location and therefore were not relocated or innundated when the Kentucky Lake was impounded here in September 1944. See elsewhere in this publication, genealogical notes on the Menzies family (Pages 65-66).

*This was properly, Jennie Menzies Jennings. Interview, Jonathan Smith with Ernest Menzies, December 15, 1997.

 

(Page 8)

CITY CEMETERY, CAMDEN

Located about a mile west of court square in Camden, Tennessee on the south side of U.S. Highway 70. This was for many years the principal cemetery for the city of Camden and remains one of the principal cemeteries for this municipality. Only one black person is known to have been buried there, Miss Easter Wyly.

Buried in the YARBROUGH family lot Miss Easter Wyly with a small upright tombstone reading:

EASTER
Age 73 Yrs.
At Rest

Easter Wyly was born June 23, 1850 to one of the slaves of Christopher K. Wyly, a prosperous Benton County merchant who lived in Camden; her birth date was entered by the attending physician, Dr. Milton L. Travis, in his day-book (although not by name). In later life she only knew that she had been born in the spring of 1850, perhaps guessing at May as her birth month. (1900 U.S. Census, Benton County, Civil District 5, #119). She was the female child, aged about six months old in C. K. Wyly's census slave roster in December 1850 and the ten year old in the same man's census slave roster in 1860.

After the Civil War she was left to fend for herself and was taken as a servant into the household of Isaac C. Yarbrough and his wife, Mary Ann. He was Camden's first train agent and a local merchant. She was nurse to two generations of youth in that household. She was an industrious person, a lively talker; never married and requested that at her death her remains be buried in the Yarbrough lot in the Camden cemetery to lie among those whom she had loved and been loved by in life; her request was honored. The small tombstone with her approximate age was erected at her grave. Mrs. Estelle Yarbrough Owen (1901-1997) of Jackson, Tennessee told Jonathan Smith considerably about her well-loved black nurse, many of her own memories having been corroborated by the memories of other people who had known Miss Easter Wyly.

 

(Page 9)

JERRY'S GRAVE

Located in north Benton County about 7½ miles east of the gazebo in the center of Big Sandy, Tennessee via Faxon Road; about 2 miles east of Faxon, Tennessee on Boat Dock Road. Grave located on high level ground in a pine stand about .7 mile east from Wynn Cemetery Road and Boat Dock Road juncture, on west side of the latter road at the first crossroads from its juncture with Wynn Cemetery Road. Metal sign reading "Jerrys Grave" presently "locates" gravesite. Approach is over a rough gravel road.

The late Mr. Clifford Barker of Camden, Tennessee marked this well-known and solitary grave with rocks many years ago. On August 16, 1993 the Benton County Genealogical Society placed a small commemorative marker at this grave which reads:

JERRY'S GRAVE
CA 1830-CA 1900
SLAVE
OWNER HOLDEN RUSHING
ERECTED BY
BENTON CO. GEN. SOC. 1993

 

Length of grave is covered with crushed gray gravel.

Tradition has it that JERRY was a youthful slave of Anderson Lashlee, a prominent Benton County merchant and farmer who owned White Oak Island in the Tennessee River near Point Mason where JERRY lived. When Lashlee's daughter, Elizabeth, married Holden Rushing in April of 1855 JERRY was given as a wedding gift to the bride. Although not far away he pined for his former home and was allowed to go back "home." Years later, he requested that at his death his body be buried at a high point above the river and creek bottoms as he did not want his remains covered during flood times.

See, "Jerry's Grave" written by Clifford L. Barker in the May 9, 1963 issue of THE CAMDEN CHRONICLE. Among Barker's remarks were, "It is further handed down that every one in the country-side was serenaded with loudly sung spirituals as the frosty topped Jerry rode his trusty mule across country with the weeks supply of shelled corn to the gristmill."

 

(Page 10)

BARKER FAMILY CEMETERY

At a point about 3 miles south of the underpass on Highway 69-A, in Camden, and on this highway turn west onto an abandoned access road, walk about .1 mile west then turn into thicketty woods to the cemetery.

Zachary Barker (c. 1792-1866) settled on his farm in Benton County in 1819, being a native of Wake County, North Carolina. Several generations of the white Barker family lived on this farm before it was sold out of their ownership.

In his 1859 will Zachary Barker named his black servants, EDY, JANE, SUSAN, MINNY, SARAH A., MISSOURI, CHINA, VINY, ELIZA, CAROLINE, JACK, MARY, HANNAH, DICK, HARRY HILL, LOGAN, ROSEY, NED and LACEY. (Benton Co. Will Book 1855-1916, page 394)

The Barkers were generally on good terms with their black folk, one of whom was especially appreciated — MARY, who had been bought by Zachary Barker when she was about 13 years old in January 1833. (Benton County Deed Book 1836-1843, page 52) She had been born in North Carolina. "Aunt" MARY BARKER continued to reside, a faithful servant, with the Barkers and died on the homeplace, then owned by Zachary Barker's son, Briggs Barker, an aged person, February 7, 1898. (CAMDEN CHRONICLE, February 11, 1898) She was buried in the slave section of the Barker family graveyard about 350 yards northwest of the old log Barker residence.

It is not now known how many slaves were buried in this graveyard but family tradition (through the late Irl Reuben Barker, principally) accounts for some eight black graves here.

Note:
There are several instances of black burials in or near white family graveyards in Benton County, at least reportedly so, but at this late date unless there are strong corroborating evidences in which this is reported in specific cases, caution is advised in accepting such claims.

 

KENTUCKY LAKE RESERVOIR CEMETERIES

Remains of persons buried in many cemeteries near the Tennessee River were removed and buried elsewhere or were covered by the waters of the Tennessee River when the Kentucky Lake was impounded in 1944. KENTUCKY LAKE RESERVOIR CEMETERIES, by James L. Douthat (Signal Mountain, Tenn., 1988), volume 2, page 7, notes that cemeteries numbers 465, 466, as ASKEW slave cemeteries, were identified as black burial grounds but no one living at the time could remember the names of any of those persons buried in these two cemeteries. This having been the case, the remains of persons buried here were left intact.

 

(Page 11)

BENTON COUNTY TENNESSEE MAP I.

[HTML editor's note: The following maps have been copied/reduced several times. Road names are often unreadable even if the images are enlarged. Click here to download a good clear Benton County road map from the Tennessee Department of Transportation web site (pdf, 3.3 meg).]

1. Friendship Cemetery
2. Moore Chapel Cemetery
3. Wyly Cemetery

 

 

(Page 12)

BENTON COUNTY TENNESSEE MAP II.

1. Camden Cemetery
2. Old Toles Chapel Cemetery
3. Calvary Cemetery
4. Barker Cemetery
5. Strickland Cemetery
6. Williams Grove Cemetery

 

(Page 13)

BENTON COUNTY TENNESSEE MAP III.

1 Jerry's Grave

 

Return to Contents