PROVIDENCE CEMETERY
Providence Cemetery is located in extreme west Madison County in the Providence community on the south side of Lower Brownsville Road. The cemetery has black and white sections; the black section lies east of the white section and a fence separates the two. There are many many unmarked graves in the black section, which may be as full as the adjacent white section.
David Donahue recorded this cemetery on July 26, 2003 based on earlier work by Jonathan K. T. Smith. Mr. Smith's 1995 record 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.
Providence Cemetery, July 2003
Allen, Beatrice, Aug. 19, 1955-Aug. 23, 1999 (homemade), 9 feet west southwest of marker for John Gillis Allen
Allen, John Gillis, 1917-1987
Avery, Willie Z., March 4, 1916-Feb. 3, 1952, military marker "Tennessee PFC 3495 QM Truck Co World War II"
Backwell, James A., Jan. 16, 1945-April 18, 1998
Brantley, Eva, Mar. 22, 1920-???? (death date buried; marker not mounted properly)
Burt, Roger, Jun. 6, 1924-Nov. 22, 1985, military marker "Pvt US Army World War II"
Cannon, James, Jan. 1, 1897-June 10, 1988, "Pvt US Army"
Cannon, Lucy, Nov. 20, 1895-July 25, 1986
[ a double marker designed like a military marker]
Chandler, Ida, 1848-Jan. 22, 1894
Chandler, Joe, July 4, 1833-Aug. 1, 1884
Chism, Ezekial, 1916-1991, "US Navy" [not found in 2003 (tried twice on different days to find it); reported by Smith in 1995]
Clay, Mable, no dates [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 1995 as a fragment resting on a tree stump]
Cole, Abijah, 1927-1949
Cole, Herman Cole, Sr., 1923-1951
Cole, Herman, Jr., 1945-1981
Cole, Alice S., Feb.24, 1924-Aug.16, 1989 (homemade), 5 feet north of double marker for Chess and Almeter Cole
Cole, Allie B. (Balley), Sr., Mr., July 23, 1936-Nov. 25, 1984, temporary marker, Cosmopolitan Funeral Home, Dyersburg-Jackson, mounted on a wooden cross 4 feet south of the homemade marker for Sherman Theus, Sr.
Cole, Alvin Allen, Dec.15, 1919-Feb.12, 1990
Cole, Andrew D., Feb. 3, 1905-June 6, 1971, "Father"
Cole, Booker T., Sept. 26, 1916-June 4, 1987 (carved tractor)
Cole, Callie, 1855-1915, "Mother"
Cole, K. D., 1847-1912, "Father"
Cole, Chess, Feb. 12, 1895-Dec. 17, 1964
Cole, Almeter, Oct. 14, 1894-July 8, 1998
Cole, Dennis Wayne "Pete," June 7, 1970-Oct. 26, 1991, temporary marker, Cosmopolitan Funeral Services, Dyersburg-Jackson, mounted on a wooden cross, along western fence 10 yards north of marker for Ollie Mahaley
Cole, Henderson, Mar. 28, 1922-Jan. 29, 1999
Cole, Herman, Sr., Mar. 9, 1929-Dec. 4, 1984, "Of twenty-two children" "Youngest son of Edward and Anna Cole" "Husband of Celester Robinson Cole" "Father of twelve and stepfather, grandfather and uncle"
Cole, Ida Jane Currie, Mrs., March 16, 1922-Nov. 29, 1990
Cole, Jerry W., June 9, 1964-Nov. 15, 2000, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, 4 feet north of marker for Herman Cole, Sr.
Cole, Kathie, d. feb. 20, 2000, temporary marker, no good reference point, about 8 yards north-northwest of marker for Jimmy D. Watkins, Jr.,
Cole, Lyna Mae, d. Jan. 2, 1995, Age 71, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw Funeral Home, 4 feet north of marker for Ollie Mahaley
Cole, Wiley, 1854-1923 (broken)
Currie, Ida Jane [see Cole, Ida Jane Currie]
Davis, Ella, 1844-May 21, 1903
DeBerry, Arthur, Apr. 14, 1918-Oct. 30, 2000, name on wooden cross, 2 feet north of marker for Ora B. DeBerry
DeBerry, Ora B., May 5, 1917-Nov. 8, 1984
Ellerson, J. W., Mar.30, 1874-Aug.26, 1946
Ellerson, Minnie, Jan. 18, 1877-Mar. 20, 1955 (fallen)
Halverson, Almer, Nov. 11, 1917-Nov. 27, 1964
Ingram, Lawrence, Jan. 9, 1913-Mar. 2, 1997, military marker "PFC US Army"
Jeffries, Alice, 1903-1966, "Mother"
Jeffries, Annie L., 1926-1927
Jeffries, Joseph D., Apr. 15, 1887-Feb. 14, 1995, military marker "Pvt US Army"
Jeffries, Lucile Marsh, 1895-1929, "Wife of F. E. Jeffries"; unplaced "Mother" footstone
Jeffries, Magnolia, Dec. 21, 1903-____, temporary marker, Bledsoe Funeral Home, d. June 21, 2003
Jeffries, Robert S., Nov. 7, 1900-Nov. 9, 1968
Johnson, Timothy L., Jan. 5, 1970-January 16, 2000; also temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, Timothy Lee Johnson
Jordan, Lottie Scott, d. Oct. 26, 1926, "Circle No. 3021"
Kattie Cole, d. February 20, 2000 [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 2000]
Mahaley, Ollie, Dec. 4, 1916-Jan. 31, 1995, "Our mother"
Marsh, Lucille [see Jeffries, Lucille Marsh]
Mayo, Allie B., 1922-1995 [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 2000]
Moore, Joe, Mar. 10, 1828-Sept.13, 1903
Musgrave, Mary Louise, Sept. 10, 1944-June 26, 1972
Musgraves, Annette, May 26, 1951-Apr. 4, 2003, temporary marker, Currie's Funeral Home, Henning, Tennessee, 4 feet north of military marker for Burt Rogers
Parker, Augusta J., July 4, 1894-May 21, 1945 (fallen)
Perry, Adena M., Dec. 10, 1969-Dec. 19, 1999
Perry, David, Jr., Jan. 27, 1959-Dec. 19, 1999
Phillips, Fontine, Mrs., Mar. 18, 1912-June 9, 2003, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, 4 feet north of marker for Unie Walker
Scott, Lotttie [see Jordan, Lottie Scott]
Simmons, Lizzie Mae, Jan. 12, 1912-Dec. 4, 2000, "children and grandchildren"
Sinclair, Tempie, Sept.18, 1883-Dec.12, 1905
Sneed, Elton, d. Oct. 31, 1999, temporary marker, mercer Brothers, 2 yards north of marker for Andrew D. Cole
Theus, Pearlie Mae "Will," Mrs., Apr. 9, 1912-Apr. 25, 2003, 2 feet north of homemade marker for Xavion Raphael Theus
Theus, Sherman, Sr., Feb. 2, 1912-Apr. 20, 1990 (homemade)
Theus, Xavion Raphael, July 18, 1990-July 21, 1990 (homemade)
Walker, Brian C., May 3, 1973-July 30, 1995
Walker, Johnnie, Oct. 20, 1907-Feb. 4, 1998, "Husband"
Walker, Sophia Ann, Dec. 8, 1901-Apr. 3, 2002, wooden cross, 8 yards southwest of marker for John Gillis Allen
Walker, Unie, April 28, 1907-Oct. 31, 1998, "Wife of Johnnie"
Watkins, Jimmy D., Jr., Sept. 14, 1949-July 15, 1996
Woods, Minnie V., 1914-1981
Go to white section of Providence Cemetery