It’s not unusual to find old cemeteries stretched beyond the boundaries of their more formal current configurations, and in the woods around historic Providence Methodist Church near Traveler’s Rest there are many vernacular headstones scattered along the fringes.
It’s safe to presume that these are among the oldest memorials in the cemetery, which dates to 1857. Local stone, be it granite, gneiss, or something similar, was readily available in the creeks and valleys near Providence, and as such was the logical material for marking the final resting places of some of its earliest members.
The marker pictured above is a great example of such a stone. Many were placed “as-is” but this one appears to have had a bit of finishing.
Robinson family plot
The Robinson family plot contains the most significant vernacular marker at Providence. Two of the three gravestones are slightly stylized, as as seen in this view, and contain text on the back side, although it’s nearly unreadable now.
M. B. Robinson (27 February 1908-1 December 1908)
The most important Robinson marker is this “Tree of Life” marking the grave of a toddler, M. B. Robinson. Findagrave identifies it by the name on the stone, which is Robson, but I believe this to be a phonetic spelling, since the more modern gravestone in the plot spells the name “Robinson”. We may never know much about these people, but they left behind a beautiful work of art with this enduring piece of folk art.
Sign marking the trail leading to Dan Tucker’s grave
Elbert County has always promoted Dan Tucker’s gravesite to visitors based on the assumption that the Daniel Tucker buried here is the “Old Dan Tucker” of 19th-century American folklore. There is no academic or even incidental agreement on this assertion, but it’s a great story, and the public access trail to the historic Tucker Cemetery is one of the nicest walks around. And as a big fan of vernacular gravestones, I’d suggest a visit to others who appreciate this underappreciated art form. Kudos to Elbert County for maintaining it so nicely. It’s a low rise path surrounded for most of its short distance by wooded slopes descending into Richard B. Russell Lake. The small cemetery has several other markers, three of which are identified.
Path to Dan Tucker’s grave
Since the origins of the standard folk song “Old Dan Tucker” are unclear and may never be confirmed, there is no way of proving the identity of its namesake. Some credit the song to Dan Emmett, who popularized blackface minstrel shows and composed the song “Dixie”, but it has also been credited to J. R. Jenkins, and Henry Russell. Dan Emmett told his biographer that he wrote the song circa 1830-1821 when he was 15 years old. “Old Dan Tucker” was first published as sheet music in 1843. The earliest versions (there are many) employed Black Vernacular English, portrayed Dan Tucker as a drunken troublemaker, and breaks with many social conventions. He was a Black man in these iterations. At least four versions with different lyrics and identities for Tucker were published in the 19th century. Some suggest it’s based on a notorious sea captain and widely despised colonist named Daniel Tucker. This seems a bit far-fetched to me. More likely, as has been suggested, it’s derived from earlier minstrel tunes.
General view of Tucker Cemetery
Elbert County’s Dan Tucker was Daniel Tucker (14 February 1740-7 April 1818), a Virginia native who served as a captain of the Amelia County Militia during the Revolutionary War. For his service, he was awarded a land grant on the Georgia frontier. He developed a successful plantation, Point Lookout, with an enslaved workforce, ran a ferry on the Savannah River, and served as a minister, particularly known, through oral tradition, “…to bring Christianity to those he enslaved.” He was a neighbor and good friend of Governor Stephen Heard.
Frances Tucker (25 April 1790-19 May 1818). The nice vernacular headstone, of local material, reads: Sacred to the memory of Frances Tucker W of Rev Eppes Tucker – Born April 25 1790 – dp this life May the 19 1818 -Age 28 years.
A 1957 Georgia Historical Marker, which is no longer standing, claimed this about Daniel Tucker: “…Esteemed by his fellow planters, he was loved by the Negroes who composed the many verses of the famous ditty, “Old Dan Tucker,” a favorite song at corn shuckings and other social gatherings.” There is no evidence whatsoever to support this claim, other than local tradition. While I never dismiss it outright, oral history is spotty at best. I mean no ill will in pointing this out, and I enjoyed my visit to Dan Tucker’s grave. I never gave it much thought when I first heard it on The Andy Griffith Show and Little House on the Prairie as a boy.
Decedent unknown. I’m working on translating the name but haven’t gotten it yet.
There are several unidentified stones in the cemetery, all relatives or in-laws of Daniel Tucker as best I can discern.
Frances Epps Tucker (4 April 1750-6 August 1823). The stone reads: In Memory of Frances Tucker W. O. Daniel Tucker-who was born April the 4th 1750-dp this life Aug the 6th 1823-Age 73 Yr. [The maker of this marker used a backward capital D for the letter R, and for the number 5 in the birthdate, quite an unusual characteristic.]
Daniel Tucker’s grave is also quite primitive.
Rev. Daniel Tucker (14 February 1740-7 April 1818)
A newer military-issued marker has been placed in recent years, and it’s a good thing, as these memorials are all fading fast.
The churchyard of Mountain Creek A. M. E. is located in an isolated section of northern Sumter County and reached by a road of deep red clay, perched atop a hill. Named for a tributary of the Flint River, Mountain Creek may be a Freedmen’s congregation, but its history is a bit obscure, as is often the case with the historic Black churches I document. This little building is what beckoned me here in the first place, and it has proven to be as enigmatic as the congregation itself. When I saw the piano [below], I was sure this was the original church, but as I explored the property and learned of an Old Mountain Creek Cemetery, that quickly gave way to a different narrative.
The building is nearing collapse, and I now believe it was a schoolhouse, associated with Mountain Creek A. M. E.
The historic cemetery is full of stenciled headstones, and there are five gravesites painted a shade of bright blue, which some would call haint blue. They are the first of this color that I’ve encountered. [There is also an Old Mountain Creek A. M. E. Cemetery listed on Findagrave, which suggests the congregation was established elsewhere and later moved here. The earliest identified burial in that cemetery is 1902].
An historic church building serves the congregation today, and the front addition, known as the Dr. Russell Thomas and Sister Margarot Camp Thomas Fellowship Hall, was added in 1990.
The church is a typical late-19th/early-20th century form, with separate front doors for women and men.
Nancy Melissa Massey Brantley (7 September 1845-3 December 1879)
I don’t often photograph family cemeteries, as many aren’t publicly accessible, but this one was open and very inviting, with great landscaping, spring blooming bulbs, and obvious good maintenance. There are always stories in these places, and a bit of this one unfolded from the pen of the late Georgia-born writer, Van K. Brock, with whom I coincidentally corresponded many years ago.
The cemetery is identified in different sources as the Joseph D. Brantley Family Cemetery and the Massey-Brantley Cemetery. According to Findagrave, Joseph Daniel “Joe” Brantley, Sr. (13 November 1845-17 November 1900), the namesake, isn’t buried here, but at Mount Gilead Primtive Baptist Cemetery, also in Washington County. He was the grandson of James Brantley, who migrated to Washington County from Tar River, Chatham County, North Carolina. Joe Brantley served as a private in Company A, 28th Georgia Infantry during the Civil War. Nancy Melissa Massey, a Washington County native, was his first wife. They had three daughters and a son.
Almarintha “Marintha” Cowart Brantley (3 March 1859-5 October 1888)
Van K. Brock wrote that “Marintha gave birth to five children while caring for seven stepchildren. One of her children died at birth. She died trying to give birth again.” I’m not sure about the “seven” stepchildren, as Joe and Nancy only had four children, but I may be missing an aspect of that. At any rate, Joe and Marintha’s three children who died at, or near, birth are buried here.
Infant deaths were common at this time in history.
Infant Daughter Brantley (5 October 1888-5 October 1888)
Of the three Brantley infants to die, Victory was the first, and the only one given a name.
Victory Brantley (26 February 1884-29 May 1884)
Joe and Marintha had another daughter and two sons who lived to adulthood. They are buried elsewhere. Not long after Marintha’s death, Joe married his third wife, Beulah Haddock Brantley (17 October 1869-11 September 1901), on 17 February 1889. Beulah bore Joe seven more children, all but one of whom survived to adulthood.
Situated on a ridge across from Jones Chapel, this historic cemetery is as important a resource as the church itself. It contains a nice variety of vernacular and commercial memorials, and formerly enslaved men and women, along with freedmen and their descendants, are buried here. My focus here is on the vernacular memorials.
Bessie H Jackson? (Aug 5, no year-22 July 1960 or 1961)
This vernacular memorial is topped by a cross made of shells and reads: Memory of You Forever.
Bidy Ann Talington (12 March 1900-6 January 1904)
Bidy Ann was the daughter of Sam and Hattie Talington.
Ransom Powell, Jr. (26 May 1899-6 May 1915)
This is a marble stone, likely bought as a blank and inscribed by a local craftsman.
Georgian Brinson (1870-22 February 1909)
This is a typical “stenciled” ledger stone in a common shape. It remains in relatively good condition.
Nias Gonder (4 March 1883-11 September 1923)
This is another typical stenciled stone.
Mattie B. Jones (30 September 1907-8 July 1908)
Ivy and an anchor are represented in the tympanum of this marker, and an accompanying poem reads: A little flower of love that blossomed but to die, Transplanted not above to bloom with God on high.
Little Sandra Leann Dixon (birth and death dates obscured)
This is the first Eldren Bailey headstone I’ve seen with the Blake Funeral Home identified. I’m not sure where it was located, but likely in Atlanta where Mr. Bailey lived and worked.
Newman Jackson (9 May 1910-8 August 1995)
This is one of two Jackson headstones with a distinctive dotted text. Though they were made 15 years apart, I believe the same person created both. In addition to the birth and death dates, it reads: Memories Your Children-We Still Love You
Rev. J. W. Irwin (?-11 January 1948), Women Missionary Society Cemetery, aka Tennille Colored Cemetery
In an historic African-American cemetery characterized by many sunken graves and damaged markers, the headstone of Rev. J. W. Irwin stands out as a vernacular masterpiece. It’s one of the most unique handmade memorials I’ve encountered anywhere. The poured concrete stone is pierced by four holes, roughly representing the shape of a cross. Rev. Irwin’s name and date of death are handwritten on the surface. I hope to learn more about Rev. Irwin.
Evans Chapel is located in the Church Hill community, just over the Marion County line in Webster County. I believe the present structure replaced a simple wood frame chapel, but don’t know when it was built, nor any other history of the congregation.
Mrs. Geneva Hill (?-12 November 1962) – Cox Funeral Home.
There is a large well-maintained cemetery beside the church. [It’s sometimes referred to as Churchill Cemetery.] I located two memorials made by Eldren Bailey, who I believe to be Georgia’s most prolific black creator of funerary art in the 20th century. Sadly, much of his creative work has been lost, so his cemetery memorials, made to order, represent his legacy. I document them whenever I find them.
Herman Alonzo Walker (1934-1968) – Haugabrooks Funeral Home
Mr. Walker was an Army veteran. He died in Atlanta, so I’m unsure if it was related to the Vietnam War, but he also has a government headstone in addition to this one.
Fergerson Cemetery was established in 1907. Annie, Minnie, and Alice Fergerson gave the land to the city of Guyton to be used as a “colored” cemetery. There are nearly 500 marked graves. As is the case in many historic African-American cemeteries, there are many unmarked or poorly marked graves, but working with Lucy Powell, Pearl Boynes, Robert Hunter and Michael Garvin of the Fergerson Cemetery Committee, volunteer JoAnn Clarke has helped to document many of them.
Many handmade headstones can be found throughout the cemetery and these are important historical resources. I’ve documented a few random examples. I’ve attempted to edit them to make them more readable. Some turned out better than others.
Maria Dobson (1843-17 April 1934)
Maria Dobson was born in South Carolina, likely enslaved.
Willie Dobson (1878-1903)
Willie Dobson was the son of Maria Dobson (1848-1934).
Annabell McCloud (24 March 1878-4 February 1924)Jimmie C. Griffin (5 September 1890-28 September 1940)
Jimmie C. Griffin was a Mason, indicated by the symbol on his memorial. He was the son of Will Griffin, a native of North Carolina, and Katie Dobson of Guyton. His wife was Amy Griffin.
James Macon (18 January 1881-1 May 1946)
James Macon’s memorial notes that he was a Mason and a deacon of his church.
Annie Eliza Bryant Cross (27 September 1860-23 September 1941)
This memorial appears to have been made by the same craftsman as James Macon’s, in the previous photograph. Though it’s difficult to see, there’s a star at the top. Her mother’s maiden name was Caroline Kent and considering her birthdate, Annie was likely born enslaved.
Beatrice Massey (5 June 1916-20 January 1939)
This marker has design elements in common with the previous two.
Rena Cuthbert (18 August 1889-24 April 1943)
Mrs. Cuthbert’s memorial features a star. This is a common motif in cemeteries, but is more often found in African-American cemeteries.
Claudie Cuthbert (?-18 October 1945)
Claudie Cuthbert was the husband of Rena Cuthbert. He was a deacon of his church and a Mason. This stone features a flower engraving, that’s difficult to see in the photograph.
James Ishmal Sheffield (1862-21 December 1929)
Mr. Sheffield was born to Abraham and Rosa Sheffield, both natives of Bulloch County. Considering the dates, they were probably all enslaved.
Ben Curry (17 December 1853-22 March 1905)
Mr. Curry was likely born into slavery and hopefully his memorial will be raised out of the ground so he won’t be forgotten. Thankfully, volunteers are working to restore all of these endangered markers.
Elgrie Hayes (9 April 1858-13 January 19170
Mr. Hayes was likely born enslaved, as well. Knowing these people’s names and when they lived is something that needs to be documented all over the state. Sadly, many are lost to time, so the surviving records, i.e. burial sites, must be remembered.
Samuel “Pop” Smalls, Sr. (1919-25 September 1997)
In contrast to the many vernacular memorials in Fergerson Cemetery is the crypt of Samuel Smalls, Sr., known as Pop Smalls. He was one of the most prominent members of Effingham County’s African-American community and served on the Guyton City Council. A World War II Navy veteran, he was the owner of Small’s Funeral Home and was involved in numerous social and civic organizations.
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.
