MT. OLIVE MISSIONARY BAPTIST
CHURCH CEMETERY

Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery, September 2003.
Note large variety of nonprofessional, homemade markers.

 

            Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery is located on Neely Station Road about 0.3 mile south of the Jackson-Denmark Road. The cemetery seems to have been established in the 1950s. There are dozens of unmarked and unidentified graves.

            David Donahue recorded this cemetery on September 12, 2003 based on earlier work by Jonathan K. T. Smith. Mr. Smith's 1995 record for both parts of the cemetery appears in his Tombstone Inscriptions from Black Cemeteries in Madison County, Tennessee and a 2000 update appears in his Tombstone Inscriptions from Black Cemeteries in Madison County, Tennessee, Volume 2. These works are referred to collectively as Smith in the notes below.

 

Bates, Dontilus Lamon, Mar. 2, 1984-Jan. 21, 1985

Bates, Fred, Apr. 30, 1930-Apr. 14, 1993, temporary marker, Bledsoe Funeral Home [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 1995]

Bates, Isaac, Sept. 20, 1914-Nov. 3, 1997
Bates, Linnie Mae, July 23, 1917-____, Married 12 9 39" [ground disturbance suggest she is buried here]

Bates, Jessie P., Apr. 10, 1900-Aug. 8, 1983
Bates, Sam, Sept. 6, 1896-____

Bates, Remus E., Feb. 4, 1894-Feb. 15, 1968 (homemade)

Bates, Rollie, Oct. 28, 1885-Dec. 6, 1961

Bates, Virgie Brooks, July 27, 1898-Jan. 18, 1977 (homemade)

Beckum, Easter, Jan. 19, 1891-Apr. 20, 1977, "Mother"

Blue, Armie R., June 7, 1924-Nov. 16, 1959, "Beloved mother & infant"
Blue, Virginia, no dates, "Baby"

Bond, Calvin, Mar. 1, 1901-Dec. 10, 1976

Bond, Louis T., July 10, 1928-Apr. 6, 1991 (homemade) [only name on double marker]

Bond, Mary Lou, June 1, 1927-Mar. 16, 1993 [adjacent to military marker for Robert Lee Bond]

Bond, Robert Lee Feb. 26, 1913-May 29, 1997, military marker "Pvt US Army World War II

Brooks, Virgie [see Bates, Virgie Brooks]

Brown, Robert M., Aug. 16, 1988, temporary marker, Mercer Brothers, 2 yards south-southeast of military marker for Roosevelt Grimes

Carr, Catherine, Jan. 20, 1899-July 6, 1988
Carr, Glenn, Sept. 15, 1894-Nov. 1, 1989

Carr, Debra [see Hopkins, Debra Carr]

Carr, Willie L., Mar. 10, 1936-May 1, 1992, "Father"

Carroll, James Robert, d. Jan. 12, 1996 (homemade)

Chatman, Murphy B., June 27, 1942-July 4, 1990 [only name on double marker]

Davidson, Nettie Bell, d. Apr. 27, 1965

DeBerry, Lueliza, Mar. 6, 1902-Dec. 13, 1965

Dillon, Joe, July 9, 1932-Apr. 23, 1998 (homemade)

Flakes, Mamie, Jan. 29, 1911-Jan. 12, 1978 (homemade)

Forrest, Danny, d. may 14, 2003, temporary marker, Mercer Brothers, 3 feet south of homemade marker for Marie Verser Forrest

Forrest, Marie Verser, July 25, 1923-July 26, 1994 (homemade)

Forrest, Tempie, d. July 8, 2002, temporary marker, mercer Brothers, 7 feet south of homemade marker for Marie Verser Forrest

Fowler, Carolyn Yvonne [see Williamson, Carolyn Yvonne Fowler]

Fowler, Mary Lucille, June 12, 1912-July 9, 1987 (sunken) [death date buried in 2003; death late listed was reported by Smith in 1995]

Gardner, Prentice Albert, Nov. 4, 1961-Sept. 6, 1985, "Beloved son"

Gardner, Roy, May 7, 1940-Aug. 10, 1986 (homemade; only name on double marker)

Gillispie, Eddie Wayne, Nov. 26, 1957-May 27, 1983 (disintegrating homemade marker) [death year missing in 2003; that listed was reported by Smith in 1995]

Gillispie, Jessie E., Apr. 17, 1953-Oct. 20, 1982 (homemade)

Godwin, Phyllis Ann, Oct. 2, 1952-June 24, 2002

Godwin, Sallie B., Sept. 3, 1933-July 15, 2001 [shares double marker with Rodney Tomlin, Jr.]

Graham, Johnnie Alex, Feb. 23, 1923-Jan. 13, 1995 (homemade)

Greer, Joe W., July 17, 1927-Nov. 12, 1996

Grimes, Roosevelt, 1960-1984, military marker "Pvt US Army"

Hard, Emma [see Saw, Emma Hard]

Harris, Loraine [see Turner, Loraine Harris]

Harrison, Anna B., Apr. 17, 1948-Feb. 5, 1986

Henning, Mary F., no dates
Henning, Elbert, 1894-1982

Hopkins, Edward A., Oct. 4, 1953-July 21, 1995
Hopkins, Debra Carr, no dates (homemade)

Jennings, Charlie, Oct 24, 1889-Dec. 10, 1963

Jennings, Henry Leon, dates buries, military marker "US Army" (improperly mounted)

Jennings, James Henry, 1912-1960

Johnson, James, Feb. 3, 1924-Apr. 28, 1999, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, 3 feet north of marker for Geneva Long

Johnson, Pearlene G., Sept. 5, 1908-Sept 12, 1995 (in 2003 this marker had a severe lean to the side)

Johnson, Tommie Lou, May 2, 1924-July 3, 1996
Johnson, Tommie Lee, Apr. 7, 1919-Feb. 14, 2002

Jones, Georgie Mae, Mrs., d. Aug. 5, 2003, Aged 91 Years, temporary marker, Ford Funeral Home, 10 feet west-southwest of homemade marker for Joe Dillon

Jones, Tennessee, 1890-1963
Jones, Clifton, 1892-1962

Long, Alvoid, July 13, 1925-Oct. 25, 1953, military marker "Tennessee SD3 USNR World War II"

Long, Charlie, d. July 22, 1998, temporary marker, Mercer Brothers, 8 feet east of marker for Geneva Long

Long, Geneva, Feb. 22, 1927-May 2, 2003, "Mother"
Long, Charlie, June 10, 1927-July 22, 1998, "Father" [on reverse sides of marker]

Marsh, Sherry, d. Nov. 9, 2003, temporary marker, Mercer brothers funeral Home, 4 yards west-northwest of marker for Geneva Long

Martin, ______, d. Aug. 4, 1994, "Baby boy," temporary marker, Mercer Brothers, 10 feet south-southeast of military marker for Roosevelt Grimes

McCoy, Elmar, Mar. 18, 1904-Feb. 18, 1992 (homemade)

McKinney, Jack, July 4, 1901-May 17, 1982 (homemade)

McKinney, James D., Nov. 22, 1920-Nov. 12, 1983, military marker "US Navy World War II"

Merriweather, Eljenia, Jan. 16, 1940-Apr. 11, 1994, "Mother" (disintegrating homemade marker)

Merriweather, Jethro, Aug. 16, 1922-Jul. 22, 1986, military marker "Pvt US Army World War II"

O'Neal, James R., Sept. 25, 1880-June 23, 1972

Owens, Mack Lee, Apr. 12, 1951-Mar. 12, 1993 (homemade)

Owens, Ora Mae, Dec. 22, 1940-Feb. 28, 2001

Pettigrew, Amos, Mar. 3, 1879?-Mar 8, 1954 (information is best guess)

Pettigrew, Cleora, Oct. 20, 1924-Feb. 2, 1990 [only name on double marker]

Pettigrew, Curtis, Jan. 24, 1946-June 19, 2001, "Beloved father and grandfather"

Pettigrew, Eastman, 1906-1977 (disintegrating homemade marker) [only three letters remained in place in 2003; information listed is that reported by Smith in 1995]

Pettigrew, Fannie L., Oct. 31, 1884-June 13, 1981 (homemade)

Pettigrew, Johnny James, Apr. 25, 1943-May 2, 1994 (disintegrating homemade marker)

Pettigrew, Queen Esther, July 5, 1923-Jan. 25, 1979, "Our beloved mother

Ragland, Alice V., Oct. 18, 1901-Feb. 6, 1964

Ragland, James, Apr. 2, 1926-June 2, 1983 (homemade)

Reaves, Willie Lee, Jan. 16, 1913-July 1, 1976 (homemade)

Reid, Louis, Jr., Apr. 26, 1930-Sept. 3, 2000 (these dates are best guess, dates on marker are given as 42630 9300)

Saw, Emma Hard, d. Dec. 8, 1988, temporary marker, Mercer Bros. Funeral Home [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 1995]

Shipp, Ceazar, Oct. 19, 1925-Aug. 6, 1998, military marker "Cpl US Army"; also temporary marker, mercer Brothers, Caezar J. Shipp

Taylor, J. T., Dec. 22, 1935-Feb. 26, 1980 (homemade)

Taylor, Spencer, Feb. 5, 1908-May 16, 1979 (homemade)

Tidwell, Verline, Mar. 1, 1937-Feb. 7, 1995

Tomlin, Rodney, Jr., Aug. 18, 2001-Nov. 1, 2001 [shares double marker with Sallie B. Godwin]

Transou, Davis, no dates, name read from flower arrangement 4 yards east-northeast of marker for James henry Jennings [summer 2003 burial]

Turner, Loraine Harris, Jan. 30, 1914-Mar. 11, 2003, temporary marker, S&S Funeral Services, Denmark, Tennessee, 3 feet north of marker for Louis T. Bond

Verser, Marie [see Forrest, Marie Verser]

Verser, Mary E., Dec. 8, 1948-Sept. 29, 1964

Verser, Mary R., July 18, 1922-Nov. 24, 1989, "Mother"

Verser, Robert, dec. 17, 1896-Feb. 2, 1971 (homemade) [shares double marker with Ozzie Witherspoon]

Ward, Cleta H., 1897-1968 (homemade)

Williams, Peggy, Feb. 7?, 1957-May 8, 2000, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, 9 feet east of homemade marker for Joe Dillon

Williamson, Carolyn Yvonne Fowler, Oct. 29, 1962-May _, 2003, temporary marker, S&S Funeral Services, Denmark, Tennessee, 8 feet south of military marker for Henry Leon Jennings

Williamson, Quincy Lenora, Mr., Apr. 7, 1964-May 4, 2003, temporary marker, S&S Funeral Services, Denmark, Tennessee, 4 feet south of military marker for Henry Leon Jennings

Williamson, Willie Mae, 1910-1955, "mother"

Witherspoon, Ozzie, June 17, 1903-Dec. 23, 1963 (homemade) [shares double marker with Robert Verser]

Woodriff, Elpedro, 1988-1992, "Master"

Woodruff, Shernaye, 1990-1991

Wright, Peggy J., Aug. 7, 1957-May 2, 2000 [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 2000, possibly read from a temporary marker]

 

Unidentifiable

______, Venie M., 1914-1996 (disintegrating homemade marker) [missing last name might be Jennings; only name remaining on double marker]