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

(Page 73)

BASIC INFORMATION FROM OBITUARIES,
THE CAMDEN CHRONICLE, 1980-1991

 

November 19, 1980
Mrs. ELLA BOYD, born Sept. 11, 1900; died November 15, 1980, Camden; daughter of Isham Tharpe and Melissa Pates Tharpe; widow of BUD BOYD. Children: BETHOLA RUSSELL, LIZZIE MAE MOORE, ELEANOR ROWSEY, EMMA BOYD, BOBBY BOYD, UVONNE BOYD, LONNIE BOYD, BILLY BOYD. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

January 21, 1981
OTIS McCAULEY born Feb. 14, 1901, Benton Co.; died Jan. 14, 1981, Camden; son of Ruff McCauley and Queen Toles McCauley. Wife, HATTIE B. (DUNLAP) McCAULEY predeceased him. Children: ODELL McCAULEY, SHEDRICH McCAULEY. Sister, Mrs. LETTI HEGLER of Mansfield, Tenn. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

February 4, 1981
ROGER THOMAS WILLIAMS died Jan. 31, 1981, Camden, aged 58 years. Sisters, GLADYS McCAULEY, IVORY BAXTER. Brothers, HORACE WILLIAMS, GILBERT WILLIAMS. Buried Williams Grove Cemetery.

April 8, 1981
Mrs. GLADYS M. McCAULEY died April S, 1981, Camden. Daughter of Willie Williams and Tissue Dumus Williams. Husband, VORIS McCAULEY. Children: EDNA GILLIS, BETTY FUNDERBURK, SHERLY LORICK, PATSY DUNLAP, BARBARA MABRA, ARNELL McCAULEY, BRENT McCAULEY, KENNETH McCAULEY. Sister, Mrs. IVORY BAXTER. Brothers, HORACE and GILBERT WILLIAMS. Buried Williams Grove Cemetery.

April 6, 1983
OCIE DOLAN TRAVIS born Feb. 7, 1912, Benton Co.; died March 29, 1983, Camden; son of Peter L. and Luna Travis. Wife, BROXIE TRAVIS. Brother, OVELL TRAVIS, Camden; Sisters, ZOLA BELTON, MANERVIA BROWN. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

June 1, 1983
MABEL RENE CRAWLEY born Nov. 13, 1934, Camden; died May 28, 1983, Camden; daughter of Charleston Crawley and Nola B. (Travis) Crawley; her father survived her. Sisters : Mrs. LUNA WILLIAMS, Mrs. NAOMI GREEN. Brothers: FRANK CRAWLEY, LLOYD CRAWLEY, FRED CRAWLEY. Aunts: Mrs . ZOLA BELTON and MINERVA BROWN. Uncle: OVELL TRAVIS. Member of the Eastern Star. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

August 17, 1983
WILL BELTON born March 8, 1907, Green Co., Ala.; died Aug. 8, 1983, Camden; son of Henry Belton and Mollie (Pearson) Belton. Wife, ZOLA TRAVIS BELTON. Sister, MARY E. HICKS. Brother, JIMMY BELTON. Retired railroad employee; buried in Pine Hill Cemetery, Bessemer, Alabama.

September 14, 1983
JAMES CHARLES EASLEY, SR. born Oct. 24, 1919, Camden; died Sept. 10, 1983, Nashville; son of Claude Easley and Emma Jean (Teague) Easley. Children: JANICE THOMPSON, GLORIA JEAN JORDAN, J. C. EASLEY. Aunt: VIOLA TRAVIS of Paris who survived. His Wife, HATTIE E. EASLEY predeceased him. Buried in Calvary Cemetery.

February 15, 1984
Mrs. JENNIE JENNINGS died Feb. 9, 1984, aged 86 years; widow of McKinley Jennings. Nephew: J. T. MENZIES. Buried in Friendship Cemetery.

April 11, 1984
ZOLIE LIZORA BELTON born July 7, 1907, Henry Co., Tenn.; died April 8, 1984, Camden; daughter of Peter and Lunnie Tharp Travis; widow of Will Belton. Son: JAMES McCLURE. Brother, OVELL TRAVIS. Sister, MANURVA BROWN. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

 

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October 10, 1984
THURMON GILBERT WILLIAMS born Feb. 15, 1912, Henry Co., Tenn.; died Oct. 3, 1984, Camden; son of Willie Williams and Tissie Dumas Williams. Wife, HATTIE, predeceased him. Children: MAMIE THARPE, ERNESTINE OLDS, Rev. JAMES WILLIAMS, CHARLES WILLIAMS, JOHN W. WILLIAMS, FRANK WILLIAMS. Sister, IVORY BAXTER. Retired worker for TVA.

May 8, 1985
VICTORINE THARPE born Feb. 28, 1916, Henry Co., Tenn.; died May 1, 1985, Camden; daughter of Dosie Tharpe and Lottie (Combs) Tharpe. Husband, Earnest Tharpe. Children: MARY LEE THARPE, OLA MAT THARPE, ESTELL THARPE, INA L. THARPE, CHARLIE JAMES THARPE. Brothers, MOSE THARPE and DAN THARPE. Member of Williams Grove Baptist Church. Buried New Hope Cemetery.

July 31, 1985
WILLIAM JAMES BOGGS born July 1, 1939; died July 22, 1985, Camden; son of A. Boggs and Alma (Simon) Boggs. Wife, MAE MARGARET BOGGS. Children: DANA BOGGS, MONO BOGGS. Grandmother, Mrs. VEORA SIMON. Veteran of Korean War and member of Toles Chapel Church. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

August 7, 1985
GEORGE W. THARPE born Feb. 22, 1923, Henry Co., Tenn.; died Aug. 3, 1985, Camden; son of Gabe Tharpe and Nora (Williams) Tharpe. Children: MARTHA WARR, Paris; JOHN A. THARPE, HAROLD J. THARPE, GERALD THARPE. Sister, AUDREY THARPE. Brothers: ODIE LEE THARPE, EUGENE CLAY, AARON D. KELLEY, ARCHIE B. KELLEY. Farmer and construction worker. Buried Williams Grove Cemetery.

November 5, 1986
TINY INEZ DONLOE born Dec. 25, 1900, Holladay, Tenn.; died Nov. 1, 1986, Camden; daughter of Jack Menzies and Adline Menzies; widov of JAMES DONLOE. Children: MILDRED DUNN, ELOISE MOORE, BREMAN DONLOE, FREEMAN DONLOE. Niece, Mrs. EDNA ELLIS. Member Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. Buried Moore Chapel Cemetery.

December 10, 1986
GERTRUDE L. THARPE died Nov. 23, 1986, Paris, Tenn., aged 66 years; widow of GEORGE D. THARPE who died in 1965. Children: MARY HUGHES, LILLIE RUTH DIGGS, ALMA ADKISSON. sister, SARAH LIGHTFOOT. Brothers, JOHN OSBY and BASIL CAPPS. Buried New Hope Cemetery.

January 14, 1987
ODELL McCAULEY born Sept. 2, 1926, Camden; died Jan. 9, 1987, Camden; son of Hattie Bell McCauley and Otis McCauley. Child, JAMES McCAULEY, Camden. Brother, SHEDRICH McCAULEY; had worked at Frank's Restaurant /a well-known local restaurant known for its fine fish and cole slaw/ for 30 years. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

September 23, 1987
SAMUEL MOORE born April 9, 1917, Henry Co., Tenn.; died Sept. 15, 1987, Camden; son of William J. and Eveline (McCullough)Moore. Wife predeceased him. Child: ALICE CAWLEY. Baptist. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

January 13, 1988
BROKSY NELL TRAVIS born Sept. 26, 1909, Benton Co.; died Jan. 4, 1988, Camden; widow of OCIE TRAVIS. Son, PRINCETON HILL. Sister, NELL STRICKLAND, Paris. Member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church.

April 20, 1988
UVONNE BOYD born Oct. 16, 1932, Benton Co.; died April 17, 1988, Camden; son of Bud Boyd and Ella (Thorpe) Boyd. Veteran of Korean War. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

 

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January 18, 1989
OPAL MAE THARPE born July 15, 1946, Carroll Co., Tenn.; died Jan. 11, 1989, Camden; daughter of Robert Coleman and Rutha Coleman. Husband, ELDON RAY THARPE. Children: LAWANDA MICHELLE THARPE and COREY TYRONE THARPE. A photograph of her published with obituary. Buried Williams Grove Cemetery.

April 26, 1989
ALVIS LAVERNE GREENE born Feb. 18, 1935, Murray, Kentucky; died April 16, 1989, Camden; son of William and Jackson and Rheubena (Littleton) Jackson. Wife, NAOMI CRAWLEY GREENE. Brother, WILLIAM D. JACKSON. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

July 19, 1989
HORACE MANON WILLIAMS born June 4, 1910, Henry Co., Tenn.; died July 10, 1989; son of Willie /and/ Tissue (Dumas) Williams. Wife, IDA THARPE WILLIAMS. Child, BETTY MILAM. Sister, IVORY BAXTER. First wife, MARY SUE McCULLOUGH. had died. Retired farmer. Buried Williams Grove Cemetery.

August 16, 1989
VIRGINIA SUSAN SIMON born Dec. 1, 1925, Decaturville, Tenn.; died Detroit, Michigan, Aug. 11, 1989; daughter of Hobert McElrath and Dovie (Toles) Jones. Husband, L. V. SIMON. Children: MARGIE BARNHILL, LINDA SIMON, RENA SIMON, LAYTON SIMON. Buried United Memorial Gardens in Plymoth, Michigan.

October 11, 1989
JAMES C. HARRIS born Nov. 5, 1919, Marshall Co., Tenn.; died Sept. 30, 1989, Camden; son of Dock and Ella (Mayberry) Harris. Veteran of World War II. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

December 27, 1989
PARFIENA (Polly) TRAVIS born Aug. 10, 1913, Benton Co.; died Dec. 17, 1989, Camden; daughter of Genie and Hollie (Taylor) Strickland. Children: DOROTHY SMITH, DORIS ARNOLD, MARTHA SIMON, PEGGY SMITH, JOHNNIE FAYE UTLEY, DONALD LEE TRAVIS. Sisters, MATTIE BOYD and DRILLON STRICKLAND. Brothers, DAMON STRICKLAND, TALMADGE STRICKLAND, L. T. STRICKLAND. Member of Eastside Church of Christ. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

December 5, 1990
NAOMI RUTH GREENE died Dec. 1, 1990, aged 58 years; daughter of Charleston L. Crawley and Nola Bell (Travis) Crawley; widow of ALVIS GREENE. Sisters, LURA MAE WILLIAMS. Brothers, FRANK, FRED, LLOYD, CHARLES CRAWLEY. Pianist at Toles Chapel Methodist church. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

January 9, 1991
ALICE FAYE CRAWLEY died Dec. 30, 1990, Camden; daughter of Samuel Moore and Alma (Simon) Moore. Husband, LLOYD CRAWLEY. Children: RITA CRAWLEY, ROSETTA CRAWLEY, DWIGHT D. CRAWLEY, LLOYD CRAWLEY. Employee of H. I . S. garment factory. Buried Toles Chapel /Calvary Cemetery/

March 6, 1991
MELVIN R. TRAVIS born July 12, 1942, Benton Co.; died Feb. 28, 1991, Jackson; son of Owen Travis and Veora (Simon) Travis; survived by siblings. Buried Calvary Cem.

March 13, 1991
DOSS (DOSSIE) HODGE born May 31, 1913; died March 6, 1991, Paris; buried Calvary Cemetery.

September 25, 1991
JAMES TRAVIS McCLURE born April 17, 1927, Benton Co.; died Sept. 24, 1991, Camden; wife, CLAUDINE (EASLEY) McCLURE; son of Nathaniel McClure and Zolie (Travis) McClure. Daughter, MARY JANE BATSON, predeceased him. Owner of McClure Funeral Home in Camden for 13 years; deacon, Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. Uncle, OVELL TRAVIS. Aunt, MANERVA BROWN. Buried Calvary Cemetery.

 

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