Washington County, Tennessee Tombstone Inscriptions by Charles M. Bennett and the Watauga Association of Genealogists. Information used with the permission of Lorraine Bennett Rae.
Volume 2, Page 42, Entry 20
“At one time there was a small private cemetery across the road from Onks Cemetery. All efforts to find it have failed……….”
Hezekiah LITTLE, 1847 – April 13, 1915, youngest son of John & Ruth Boring Little. His wife, Elizabeth Williams, 1860 – Aug 9, 1919 is thought to be buried here, too.”
Deeds –
Deed Book 54, Page 561 – 1888 – Charles Harvey and wife, Achsah S. Onks Harvey to S[amuel] J. Hyder. The parcel was about 56 acres. It covered road frontage on what is currently Old Jonesborough Rd/East Main Street/West Walnut Street (formerly the Memphis to Bristol Hwy) from the railroad overpass east to Sycamore Drive (about 0.3 miles) and from the road back about 1600 feet. Onks Cemetery is about at the midpoint of the road frontage.
A thorough deed scrub revealed no mention of any burial ground. The tract remains largely intact today. The Hyder family owned this parcel largely intact, for many years and still owns the better part of it, the descendants carrying the name of Lowe, by marriage.
The “Little” Mystery –
Hezekiah Little’s death certificate has been found and his burial location was noted as “Loves”. This location is known as the Charles E. Love Cemetery and was located at the site of the Johnson City Medical Center’s Ronald McDonald’s House. Those buried there, including Hezekiah’s father John Little, were moved to Roselawn Cemetery in 1992 (see Charles E. Love Cemetery for more detail). It is possible, if not probable, that 2 of the 3 the unknowns there were Hezekiah and his wife, Elizabeth.
No connection has been found to this family of Littles and the Hyders.
Burials –
If indeed there is a burial ground on this parcel across from Onks, who established it and who may be buried there remain a mystery. A conversation with Mr. James Lowe, a descendant, and current resident of the homeplace across from Onks Cemetery yielded no additional information. Mr. Lowe did recall that he had heard that maybe someone was buried somewhere on that side of the road, but he could not remember where that information had come from. He stated that he’s never seen any indication of a gravesite. Mr. Lowe is the current caretaker of Onks Cemetery, following in his father’s and grandfather’s steps.
Surveyed, transcribed, reseached and donated to the Washington County TNGen Web June 2015 by Gordon M. Edwards, member of the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee.
Copyrighted 2015 by the Cemetery Survey Team of Northeast Tennessee. No part of this work may be copied without written permission from the Cemetery Survey Team.