This historic African-American congregation is located west of Forsyth in the Collier community. I haven’t been able to track down any history, but the cemetery has some wonderful vernacular headstones by the prolific but little-known sculptor Eldren Bailey (1903-1987). A few of Mr. Bailey’s sculptures are in museums, but many are long lost. His cemetery memorials represent the breadth of his work and they are quite fragile. Collectively, from the coast to the mountains, they are an important resource which should be better known.
Memorials by Eldren Baileyin Wrights Grove Cemetery
These historic memorials are in varying states of condition and are presented in no particular order.
Coleman Brown (28 August 1900-30 June 1965)
Banks Funeral Home handled the arrangements for Mr. Brown. This memorial features a flower in the tympanum.
Emma Brown (13 July 1905-8 August 1961)
Banks Funeral Home also handled Mrs. Brown’s funeral. Her memorial features a garland of flowers, still in good condition.
Earlie L. Jones, Sr. (Birthdate unknown-1 January 1956)
Earlie Jones’s memorial was handled by Haugabrooks Funeral Home and the memorial also features a garland of flowers.
Freeman Fambro (Birthdate unknown-23 May 1963)
Mr. Fambro’s arrangements were handled by Walker’s Funeral Home. The memorial features a garland, placed slightly differently than the others.
Jessie Lee Benjamin (Birthdate unknown-4 July 1963)
Seller’s Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements for Jessie Lee and Jerry Lee Benjamin.
Jerry Lee Benjamin (Birthdate unknown-death date unknown)
Rena P. Wilson (16 July 1869-17 August 1934). The text* on the stone is difficult to read, which isn’t an insult to the maker, but rather an indictment on the state of education available to black Georgians in the Jim Crow era. *Bon July 161869 -Di.d. Au 17 1934-Age 65 3-Mont 1 Day- At rest
The challenges facing African-Americans in tracing their ancestry have been widely publicized in recent years and among them is the absence of marked graves in cemeteries dating from the days of slavery well into the Jim Crow era. Groups like the Black Cemetery Network are working against time to research and document these important resources.
Dunwoody Cemetery, in a patch of palmetto and oak beside Interstate 95 near Darien, is a perfect example of such a place. The beautiful vernacular headstone of Rena P. Wilson, who was born just after slavery’s end, is the only memorial I could locate here. Most of the earlier markers were made of wood and are long lost to the elements.
The land where Dunwoody is located was originally part of a grant from King George II to Sir Patrick Houston dating to 1757. When the land was purchased by James Smith upon Houston’s death in 1798, it was named Sidon and became part of Smith’s network of profitable rice operations along Cathead Creek. A tabby plantation house, slave dwellings, and this slave cemetery made up the main part of the plantation, which was operated by Smith’s daughter, Elizabeth Dunwoody. All traces of the plantation are now gone, except this cemetery.
Situated at the end of a dirt road and surrounded by fields and forest, the Joiner Cemetery [also, more properly, known as Wallace Cemetery] is typical of many rural burying grounds at first glance.
Further inspection reveals that it’s anything but typical. It contains a mixture of Victorian and vernacular memorials. I’m only focusing on the vernacular examples here.
Vernacular Memorials of Joiner Cemetery
All of the vernacular memorials in Joiner Cemetery feature similar design elements, notably saw-tooth frames around text and the use of stenciled letters; unfortunately, most have some sort of damage and should be considered highly endangered. I believe they are made of poured concrete and are not all contemporary to the burials, as is most evident with the Mashburn burials. The font of the stenciled letters is not contemporary to their death dates.
Eliza Joiner Bullington (18 August 1839-4 July 1884)
The Eliza Joiner Bullington memorial is the most extraordinary in Joiner Cemetery. The top of the stone contains a pictograph featuring a hand print, an unknown symbol, and a star in a circle, representative of heavenly eternity as best I can guess.
Eliza Joiner Bullington, Detail
The crowded text, surrounded by a saw-tooth frame found on other vernacular memorials in the cemetery, reads: Mrs. Eliza Wife Of Rev R [Rubin] Bullington Born Aug The 18th 1839 & Died July The 4 1884 Thy Hand O God Doth Save Me And The Star Of Thy Heavens Doth Give Me Light
Mary L. Bullington (16 November 1880-24 August 1881)
The tomb of Rubin and Eliza Joiner Bullington’s daughter, Mary, is perhaps the nicest of the vernacular memorials, though it has been badly damaged over the years.
Infant of William L. & Betty Joiner (12 October 1878-12 October 1878)
The gravesite of the unnamed infant of William and Betty Joiner is similar to the previous memorial for Mary Joiner, though not as elaborate in design. The inscription reads: Its Spirit Returns to God Who Gave It
Susan Carr (4 September 1861-21 September 1880*)
The fading inscription on this memorial reads: Susan Carr Wife of Alaxander [sic] S. Carr Born Sept. the 4th 1861 & Died Sept. the 21th [sic] 1881.Blessed Is The Pure In Heart For They Shall See God. She Shoutingly Exclaimed That She Could See Her Loved Ones Who Had Gone Before. Susan We Know How Precious You Were On This Green Earth But How Can We Envy Heaven Of So Bright a Juel [sic].
*- The transcribed date of death on Findagrave is 1881, but viewing it through an infrared filter, I believe it to be 1881.
Carear Bell Bullington (8 or 9 October 1886-5 May 1887)
This is a representative example of the saw-tooth frame found on headstones throughout Joiner Cemetery. The decedent was the infant daughter of Reverend Rubin and Seebelle Bullington. I presume this is the same Reverend R. Bullington who was married to Eliza Joiner until her death.
Lewellen Mashburn (30 March 1819-3 January 1872)
The marker reads: In Remembrance of Luallen* [sic] Mashburn…Blessed Are The Dead That Die In The Lord. They Rest From Their Labor And Their Works Do Follow Them.
*-Misspellings are quite common on vernacular headstones, as is the case here. With names, it can sometimes be a guessing game, but there’s a more formal stone associated with this burial, so I know that Lewellen is the correct spelling.
Mary Amanda Mashburn (17 February 1853-19 December 1855)
This tomb is of the same style as Mary Bullington’s and the Joiner infant’s. I believe it was a later marking of an earlier burial, likely done around the same time as the aforementioned, in the 1870s-1880s.
James Daniel Mashburn (10 October 1854-27 January 1860)
James Daniel Mashburn’s memorial is also likely a later replacement of an earlier version. It’s decorated with a lamb, commonly associated with children. He and sister Mary Amanda were the children of Lewellen and Elizabeth F. Lock(e)* Mashburn.
Elizabeth F. Lock(e) was the daughter of James Lock and Athali E. Adams Lock. The spelling error is likely accidental.
James Lock (9 May 1808-18 April 1858)
The inscription reads: For I Know That My Redeemer Liveth And That He Shall Steady At The Latter Day If On The Earth: And Though After [remainder illegible]
Athalia Adams Locke (17 March 1813-11 December 1890)
The stone on this memorial reads: How Bright Is The Day When The Christian Receives The Sweet Message To Come To Rise To The Mansions Of Glory And Be There Forever At Home
Martha Delia Scarborough (1 October 1875-30 September 1896)
This is one of the last of the vernacular memorials, chronologically. Martha Delia was the daughter of John F. and Susan Singletary Scarborough.
Dessie Joiner (23 September 1888-30 April 1889)
This tapered obelisk is unique among the vernacular memorials at Joiner Cemetery. The iron frame was added to preserve it after a break. Dessie was the infant daughter of W. G. and Mary E. Joiner.
I believe this congregation dates to the early 20th century. They discontinued services in 2015.
Ebenezer Cemetery
The historic cemetery at Ebenezer is typical of small rural congregations. A mix of vernacular and commercial stones are present. The disproportionate number of veterans buried here is notable, proof that this isolated community believed in service, even in an era when its members did not have equal rights. I think it speaks volumes to their character.
I’m sharing a few random examples in no particular order.
Wise Liberty (birth and death dates unknown)Maurene “Honey” Still (30 September 1917-9 September 2021)
Aunt Honey & Jesus Had a Good Thing Going- According to her obituary, Aunt Honey was a beloved member of Ebenezer from her youth until the church disbanded.
Joseph Williams, Private, US Army, World War II (30 August 1909-24 March 1967)Eddy Byrd Stringer, US Navy, (19 May 1922-31 May 2005)Reginald Grant, PFC, US Army (1951-3 August 2014)
The Old Field Cemetery is a rural cemetery located a few miles from Fitzgerald which has fascinated me since I first photographed it in 2009. It contains a mixture of commercial and vernacular memorials, with several significant vernacular memorials, including the unusual Benton Family cross [pictured above]. Old Field Cemetery predates the establishment of Fitzgerald; the earliest identified burial [1861] is that of Archabald McInnis (4 July 1816-7 July 1861) with several other burials dating to the 1880s. At least one pioneer family of the Old Soldiers Colony of Fitzgerald, the Hallett Rathburn family, is also associated with the cemetery. An historically white cemetery, it is also used today by a nearby African-American congregation, Fairview Missionary Baptist Church.
An interesting comment on the entry for Flora Ann Dixon McCall on Find a Grave fills in an important fact about potentially missing gravestones: Rumor has it (as recounted by Josie Mims McCall) that many McCall’s [sic] were buried in the Old Field Cemetery, however, a local man vandalized the cemetery and many of the grave stones were destroyed as he “cleaned” up the cemetery. He was upset that no one in the town of Fitzgerald helped him clean up the cemetery, after he placed an ad in the local paper to encourage all families to lend a hand, so he demolished most of it with a tractor during his “clean up.”
Vernacular Memorials of Old Field Cemetery
Cylindrical Memorial No. 1, Decedent Unknown
There are three cylindrical headstones in Old Field Cemetery. It’s an unusual form of grave marking that I’ve not encountered elsewhere .
Cylindrical Memorial No. 2, Decedent Unknown
All are made of poured concrete and two examples are ornamented by round stones placed on the ground beside them.
Cylindrical Memorial No. 3, Decedent Unknown
I don’t think these stones have any particular religious meaning but rather a practical one. I don’t believe they ever contained the names of the decedents and their identities may be lost to history.
Wooden Grave Marker, Decedent Unknown
Wooden markers were commonly used to mark graves in the past, especially in rural cemeteries. Wood is among the most vulnerable of all the materials used to mark graves and countless examples have been lost to the elements over time.
Benton Memorial, detail
The top left horizontal section of the Benton Memorial cross is actually signed by the maker, Jessie Morris. Morris may be responsible for several of the vernacular memorials in Old Field Cemetery. Signed vernacular stones are very rare.
Benton Memorial, detail
The top right horizontal section of the cross [see first photo in this article for an overall view] contains the words God Bless You All.
I cannot read the names of the Bentons buried here and have no idea if there’s a connection, but my father remembers two or three Benton brothers who lived in the general area in the 1950s. He recalls that they were bachelors and lived in a large old house on the Jacksonville Highway [U.S. 319] and were among the first people he knew of in Ben Hill County to grow and sell strawberries.
The original memorial marking the final resting place of Brinkley Bishop was surrounded by four cedar trees that have since been removed.
Brinkley Bishop (1811-1899), detail
It was replaced by a modern vernacular stone by his grandchildren.
There are quite a few simple vernacular memorials throughout the cemetery, like the two Hasty stones pictured above.
Baby Morris (birth and death dates unknown)
The headstone for Baby Morris features a butterfly and vine design. It possibly dates to the late 1930s, when considering the design of the Baby Beck memorial which is located nearby.
Baby Morris (June 1938)
I believe the two baby memorials may be the work of Jessie Morris, who made the cross for the Benton family.
Frank Cook (29 September 1870-4 April 1928)
The memorial for Frank Cook is a hybrid form commonly found in rural cemeteries. The headstone was poured into a mold and the lettering and shaking hands designs are created with stencils.
Commercial Memorials of Old Field Cemetery
John Sullivan (1842-?)
The headstone for Frank Sullivan notes that he was a Marine. It is in the government-issued style known as “Civil War” or “Recessed, or Sunken, Shield” and was in widespread use from the 1880s until at least the 1910s.
Alex M. McInnis (10 May 1881-31 July 1883)
The headstones for two of the six children of Daniel A. (15 December 1855-26 May 1906) and Elizabeth Tucker McInnis (14 February 1859-12 July 1934) are very common examples of one of the most popular commercial motifs of the Victorian era.
Mattie Thetis McInnis (4 July 1889-4 December 1893), detail
The lamb represents the Lord and also symbolizes innocence, hence its presence on numerous infant and toddler graves throughout the United States.
Mattie Thetis McInnis (4 July 1889-4 December 1893)
Infant and childhood deaths were common before the advent of modern medicine.
Cedar Grove is an historic African-American cemetery in Lumber City, across the highway from the white cemetery. It contains a mixture of vernacular and commercial markers. The headstone of Annie Comings is of a style I’ve rarely encountered, which is cruciform but also evokes a human figure or perhaps an angel.
Carrie W. White (18 August 1876-2 March 1941)
This memorial was originally in a “T” shape, which is a rare form, but not the first I’ve seen. Like most I’ve seen, it has broken over time.
Maggie [Surname unknown] – (?-1928)
This cruciform memorial is similar to that of Annie Comings but has broken over time. Sadly, the last name of Maggie has been lost.
Ned Martin (17 August 1849-8 April 1898)
This commercially made marble obelisk is unique in the cemetery. Mr. Martin’s date of birth would indicate that he was likely born into slavery.
Rachel Dailey (10 March 1853-19 December 1903)
The heart-shaped stone is a typical Victorian commercial theme. Ms. Dailey was also likely born enslaved.
Reverend Cornelia Boyd Williams (1904-1951)
Reverend Williams was a female evangelist, somewhat rare in her time.
The cemetery gate identifies those who administered and saw to the upkeep of the property. President, Albert Clements; Secretary, Gracie Quinn; Treasurer, Bessie Lee.
I’m always looking for places associated with my Browning ancestors, and while I’m not the best genealogist, much of my family history has already been traced by others. I came across this historic cemetery by accident, but was amazed to find many of the Browning family represented here. While the majority of headstones are formal, these sandstone/limestone versions are rare and wonderful examples of vernacular funerary art. Their biggest enemy is time and weather, as the names are beginning to vanish.
Silas Browning (19 January 1819-19 December 1888)
Silas was the son of George Browning and was married to Sara Wolfe. They had six daughters and one son.
Teresa Jane Lowery Gay (25 October 1820-15 April 1885)
The headstone is unique in shape in comparison with the other examples in the cemetery.
Sallie Reddin (July 1880-?)
There are spelling errors on some of the headstones, as is common with vernacular examples, and Sallie Reddin could have been Sallie Redding. That’s just a guess. Her death date is not present, but since these stones all date to the 1880s, it’s safe to presume Sallie died as a young child.
Unknown Browning
I can read the word “Browning” on this stone, but all the other details have nearly vanished.
Caroline Vaughn Browning (13 April 1823-9 April 1887)
This stone features a primitive illustration, unique in the cemetery.
Unknown Browning, possibly Sissy (2? September 18??-?? September 188?)
This stone may be readable to some. I believe I can see the word “Sissy”, but the birth and death dates are very difficult to ascertain.
Mathew Cadwell (14 December 1858-3 August 1886)
I’ve included this stone for its curiosity. It isn’t related to the vernacular stones but tells a sad story. It states that young Mr. Cadwell was “Killed By Lighting with His Horse Under Him”.
Located near the Willard community, Reid’s Chapel Baptist Church is an historic Black congregation. No history is readily available, but the earliest burials I located in the small adjacent cemetery date to circa 1920.
I haven’t been able to locate a history of Nebo Cemetery, located on a steep hillside near Meansville, but it features several notable vernacular headstones and many unmarked graves. The earliest known burials date to the 1930s.
(King, first name unknown, but beginning with the letter “C” – birth date unknown, died July 1960?)
This is an interesting memorial, which incorporates a plastic cross into a simple concrete stone.
(decedent and birth and death dates unknown)
This unknown burial is marked with a repurposed section of architectural concrete. It’s an interesting usage and the first I’ve seen of this type.
(Jay Smith – 24 December 1894 – 9 April 1975)
This is a style of headstone I’ve encountered in several rural cemeteries. Some have flowers in the tympanum [like this one] and others have had doves.
(Joe Louis Flemister – 21 March 1937 – 3 August 1983)
This historic Black congregation may have been established in the 1910s, as the earliest identifiable burials in the adjacent cemetery are circa 1919. There are several vernacular headstones present, including the three crosses that follow.
Katie Mumford (birth and death dates unknown)
George Lockett (birth and death dates unknown)
Harrett (sic; Harriet) Lockett (birth and death dates unknown)
Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown 