Deck (Abraham) Cemetery
ABRAHAM DECK CEMETERY is located on U. S. Highway 11-W between Zion Lutheran Church (now Rock Hill Baptist Church) and Immanuel Lutheran Church. It is on a hill about 100 yards above the north side of the highway. Only two graves were found. They were in a rectangle about 6 X 20 feet, surrounded by a concrete wall about 30″ high. Copied by Charles M. Bennett, October 14, 1960. Annotated by S. Kathryn Bowling McKown.
DECK, Abraham 1800 – 1862 (W= Margaret)
DECK, E. Minerva 1846- 1863 on same stone (F= Abraham Deck M= Margaret)
SKBM Note: There are three Deck Families on the 1850 Census of Sullivan County TN. Mary age 70, and living with her are Lydia Booher age 26, Mary Booher age 6, Margaret Booher age 4, and Henry Booher age 3.
Living next door is Abraham Deck age 50, Margaret age 40 (his wife) and then Mary age 30, Susan age 28, Ora age 26, Wm. age 22, Catherine age 20, Lousianah age 18, Sarah age 16, Martha age 13, Eliza age 7, George W. age 5, Elizabeth age 4, Martin age 2, and Margaret age 1/12. Then Jacob age 17.
I do not believe all of these people are the children of Abraham Deck. Some of the older ones may be his brothers and sisters.
On the 1870 Census Abraham is no longer listed.
The other family is Simon Deck age 40 (b. in VA), Elizabeth age 38 (his wife), Mary age 14, Martha age 13, Nancy age 4, and Catharine age 63(b. in VA). Catharine is shown with the last name of Smith on the 1870 census.
I believe that the Catherine who lived with Simon Deck was Catherine Shrite/Srite. Catherine was Mary’s mother.
The Catherine that lived with Simon Deck was his 3rd wife Elizabeth “Bettie” Smith Deck’s mother Catherine Umphries Smith. The place where they lived was the Massengill Farm , or close to it. John Massengill was married to Bettie Deck’s sister Nancy , when she died , she left behind 5 children, they were scattered amongst family to raise. Bettie and her mother Catherine took in John , Jr, and John Sr. left them the farm to raise him on. John Jr. was the father of S.E. Massengill , King Pharmaceutical founder.