To see a full listing of burials in this cemetery please click here.

Location: On a hill on the South side of Reedy Creek, near Blountville

Description: There are many graves not marked, many marked with plain limestone markers and some with inscriptions no longer legible.

Surveyed 22 Feb 2005

This is believed to be the original Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery.

Burial records: 22

Recorder: Cemetery Survey Team of NE Tennessee

USGS Map: Blountville

GPS Location: 36.574825, -82.361252

Elevation: 1673 ft.

Searchable burial information, an interactive map and additional information on this cemetery can be found by visiting the cemetery database click here

Additional Information

The following information was taken from a booklet titled, History of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Blountville, Tennessee 1793 – 1993.  They cite the following sources:

Foundations of Faith in Sullivan 1777 – 1935 by the Sullivan county Historical Society, 1986

History of the Lutheran Church in Virginia and East Tennessee by the Lutheran Synod of Virginia, 1922

Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, Published series II.  No. 10. 1972

Various church records

Harr genealogy

 

Sons and Daughters of Immanuel

“John Harr, born in 1762, lived in the area near Immanuel Lutheran Church with his children.  The Drokes were his neighbors and they lived on property that was next to Immanuel Lutheran Church.  They were staunch members of Immanuel Church.  The well known Lutheran minister, Paul Henkel, who made many trips to Immanuel and other churches in East Tennessee, lived close to John Harr in Shenandoah County, Virginia.  Many people believe he had a great influence upon the Snapps and Harrs coming to Sullivan County, Tennessee.  John Harr, whose land was along the waters of Reedy Creek close to Immanuel Lutheran Church lived next to Jacob Droke.  Jacob Droke, born in 1773 lived next to the Whiteman land, which Immanuel Lutheran Church was built on in 1793.  John Harr is buried in the old Snapp Cemetery, along Reedy Creek Road, about three miles east of Immanuel Church.  His sons, John Simon, John (born 1800), and John Joseph are all buried in the old Immanuel Lutheran Church Cemetery.  John Joseph Harr’s wife, Rebecca, is buried in the Latture Cemetery.  The Latture Cemetery is about one and one-half miles north of Immanuel Church.  Before John Joseph Harr died in 1822, he was planning to go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania for ordination as a Lutheran minister.  Gettysburg was the headquarters of the Lutheran Church at this time.”

 

Sullivan County, Tennessee Deed Book 9, page 391

This indenture made this twenty-second of August 1820 between Frederick Whiteman of the one part and the Lutheran-Presbyterian Society at Zion Meeting House of the other part witnesseth that the said Frederick Whiteman for divers and good causes and considerations have given and granted to the Society aforesaid and to their successors for ever a certain piece or parcel of land situated in the county of Sullivan and state of Tennessee and containing one acre a half and half a quarter be the same more or less beginning at a White Oak on old corner of the said Whitemans thence along his former line North fifty-eight West, twenty poles to a Spanish Oak and Hawbush sapling thence South thirty two West fourteen poles across a small branch to a Locust stake near marked Sourwood thence South fifty eight East eighteen poles to a Sourwood and two Dogwoods on the side of a hill thence across said branch to the beginning including said Meeting House, grave yard & spring and every other thing thereunto belonging to them the said Society and to their successors forever and I the said Frederick Whiteman for myself my heirs we do warrant and for ever defend every part and parcel of the above mentioned land with the appurtenances thereunto belonging to the said Society and to their successors for ever against me the said Frederick and my heirs or any other person claiming under us.  I witness of the said Frederick Whiteman has hereunto set his hand and seal the day and year first above written signed sealed and delivered in presence of us.

Frederick Whiteman (seal)

State of Tennessee Court of Pleas and so at August Sessions 1820 the execution of Sullivan County the within Deed of Gift was acknowledged in open court by Frederick Whiteman party thereto lest it be registered.  Joseph C. Rhea, D. Clerk.  Reg. this 21^st of April 1824.

 

Sullivan County, Tennessee Marriage Records, 1863 – 1893

CLARK, Job H. and RODEFFER, Emaline C.             21 May 1876

RODIFER, Geo. and  DROKE, Catherine                28 Oct 1886

AKARD, Abel B. and HANCHER, Ida N. B.              8 Feb 1882

DROKE, Andrew J. and MORELL, Sarah A.            1 Dec 1887

DROKE, John W. and HARR, Lydia E.                  8 October 1888

 

Sullivan County, Tennessee Unbound Marriages 1861 – 1870 (WPA Records)

HARR, Simon W. and HARR, Lydia C.                   10 May 1866

 

1850 Census of Sullivan County, Tennessee

Page 30 A

#266-266 HARR, John       33
Elizabeth                                 38
William Morton                     11
Mary C.                                   10
Rebecca                                     7
John                                           5
Elizabeth                                  3
WOLFORD, Jacob                84
HUGHS, Phebe                     50
[Illegible] Elizabeth            52
Tilda                                       24
[No name, female]             15

Page 30 B
# 272-272 HARR, John S.   59
Lydia                                    61
Lydia A.                              14
Page 37
#354-354 DROKE, John     51
Esther                                 55
George                                20
Jas.                                     18
Catharine                         16
Saml.                                 14
Isaac                                  12
Andrew                            10

 

1860 Census of Sullivan County, Tennessee, District 6

Dist. 6, Morrell’s Mill P. O.
Page 86
#572-572 DROKE, John      62  [buried at the Wolford Cemetery]
Esther                    44
George                    30
James                     28
Cathrine                25
Saml.                     23
Isaac                       22
Andrew                  19

Dist. 6, Morrell’s Mill P. O., page 88
#587-587 HARR, John       60
Elizabeth                    52
Lydia E.                     26
Simon W.                  22
Wm. R. D.                 19
HARR, Christena    65
HORN, Emaline       19

Dist. 6, Morrell’s Mill P. O., page 88
#588-588 SMITH, George W. 26
Mary A.                           23
RODIPHER, Veronica  63

 

1870 Census of Sullivan County, Tennessee, District 6

Page 431A
#90-90
SMITH, Mary              34
Nathaniel                       9
Lydia P.                           7
John S.                            3

Page 430A
#67-67
DROKE, Isaac D.       28
Emeline                      28
Susanah                        8
Hester                            4
Elizabeth                6/12
Christiana H.            75

Page 430A
#70-70
DROKE, John              71
Catharine                    37

 

Additional family information by Teri Sturm:

Nathaniel Droke was married to Matilda Josephine Hart (1879) and they had one son: George Smith, born in 1880. Evidently Nathaniel went to Indiana to homestead and was going to send back for the wife and son. He died from typhoid if I remember correctly. After his death Matilda married George Washington Harr (1888.) He was the son of John William Harr and Eleanor Phagan Droke. They had seven children.