Mattie A. Branch and Mamie R. Branch

The two gravestones here lie next to each other at Good Hope Baptist Church Cemetery near Camden, Mississippi, and are located to the right of Edward Arthur Branch's Woodmen of the World marker. Edward's grave marker and these two headstones are the only markers in the cemetery that bear the name "Branch."

You may notice the ground around the marker has been disturbed. Because the area had received a large rain just days before our visit, it was necessary to remove wet dirt and sand from the sides and top of each marker to read the dates of death.

On Mattie's gravestone are the words "died - 1870." Mamie's marker bears the words "died - 1800." The markers are identical, and both appear to be fairly new. I believe they are likely replacement markers for old ones that were concrete and were no longer readable. The dates on the marker, however, have created yet another "Branch Family Mystery."

The facts are this: Mattie Allen Branch was Edward Arthur Branch's mother, wife of Joseph Arthur Branch. But she could not have died in 1870. According to the U. S. Census taken in Mississippi in 1850, Edward A. (E.A.) Branch was 52 years old, with a date of birth of 1798. Their son, Joseph Arthur, was a small child. Joseph married Mattie Allen, and they became the parents of my great-grandfather, Edward Arthur Branch, their only son. Edward died in of cancer in 1915 at the age of 43. His mother could not have died in 1870, since her death would have pre-dated Edward's birth which occurred in 1872.

And just who is Mamie R. Branch? Was she an elderly aunt, unmarried when she died, or was she a woman whose maiden name began with the letter "R" and who married someone named Branch who arrived in Mississippi before Edward Tillman Branch and his wife, Winiford Ragland, were married in Hinds County in 1830?

I recall reading another blogger's advice recently that we should not take as gospel the information on a replacement gravemarker or tombstone. Could the dates of death on the headstones of Mamie and Mattie Branch be incorrect?

The mystery remains, and I feel a need to unravel it. And once again, I will open another chapter in the search for my Branch ancestors.

Odd Fellows Cemetery - Holmes County, MS

The Odd Fellows Cemetery in Holmes County, seen here, is one of the oldest in this county where "the Hills meet the Delta." Most of us have seen cemeteries identified as "Odd Fellows" cemeteries, and many who saw the name or its abbreviation "I.O.O.F." may have wondered what it actually meant. The abbreviation stands for "International Order of Odd Fellows." The symbol or logo for this organization that was founded on the importance of living an ethical lifestyle, appears as three unbroken, chained links. These unbroken links symbolize the elements of membership in the organization, "Friendship, Love, and Truth." Membership in this worldwide organization is based in the U.S. and headed by the U.S.-based Sovereign Grandlodge.

The command given to members of this group, whose activities are centered around providing kindness and assistance to others, is to visit the sick, to relieve the distressed, to bury the dead, and to educate the orphan.

Odd Fellows cemeteries are the organization's charge to "bury the dead."

The Odd Fellows Cemetery in Holmes County is located in Lexington, the County Seat of Holmes County. Families represented in this large, old cemetery are the following:
Ables, Autry, Applebaum, Baker, Barbour, Beall, Christmas, Cooper, Cox, DeLoach, Doty, Durden, Farmer, Freeman, Frost, Fryer, Fuller, Gwin, Hammett, Harthcock, Herbert, Hooker, Kearn, Meade, Melton, Noel, Pahlen, Ray, Rosenthal, Sheehy, Shephard, Sontheimer, Stigler, Sutton, Taggart, Ussery, Walton, and Zimmerman.

The Chapel of the Cross

The Chapel of the Cross is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture and a landmark in Madison County. This area of Madison county has always been one of my favorites. The pastoral setting for the 150-year old Gothic structure on Mannsdale Road (Hwy 463) contains dogwoods, cedars, oaks, and magnolias and is one of both Southern charm and serene beauty. The church and its cemetery are very near what once was Annandale Plantation, and are now the center of an Episcopal parish that numbers somewhere around 1000. Over the coming weeks, I plan to write about the church's history, its legends and the residents of Madison County who are buried in its old cemetery surrounded by ancient trees and wrought iron. One of those residents whose story I plan to tell was James Yellowly, a man who was instrumental in the founding of Madison County.

But perhaps the most well-known individual buried in the Chapel of the Cross Cemetery was Henry Grey Vick, who was not a resident of Madison County at all. Vick had the distinction of being related to the Vick family, for whom the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi is named. A very wealthy man, Vick lived in the Mississippi Delta, where he owned a large plantation at Nitta Yuma. But Vick was best known in Madison County as the intended bridegroom of Helen Johnstone, the daughter of the owner of Annandale Plantation. The story of the love affair between Helen Johnstone and her beloved Henry, and how he was buried in The Chapel of the Cross Cemetery, is something that I plan to include in the story of The Chapel of the Cross and its cemetery.

The gravestones of Bettie R. Cotten and B. F. Cotten show inscriptions on the base of each tombstone, the simple but meaningful words, "Mother" and "Father." Bettie's epitaph states lovingly "Weep not, she is not dead, but sleepeth."



According to her gravestone, Bettie was born on April 14, December 27, 1860, and she died on March 16, 1933, several months before her 73rd birthday. B. F. Cotten's gravestone shows he was born on December 27, 1853 and died on July 18, 1913. B. F. and Bettie R. Cotten are buried beside each other, next to the north fence, in Good Hope Cemetery, located near to Good Hope Baptist Church in the community of Camden, Mississippi.



The U. S. Census of 1910 shows that Ben F. Cotten and his wife, Bettie R. Cotten, were living in Beat 5, Camden, Mississippi, close to the cemetery that became their final resting places over 20 years later. Ben's occupation, like most of his neighbors, was shown as "farmer." Two of the Cotten family's neighbors were the John B. Allen family and the Barrett family headed up by Richard and his wife, Sallie. Like Ben Cotten, John B. Allen and Richard Barrett were also farmers. The ethnic designation code shown on the census record for the Cotten, Allen, and Barrett families was "W."



In 1910, there were five children living in the Cotten household, Pearl, age 19, Katie, age 12, Hiram, age 14, Fannie, age 8, and McWillie, age 5. John Washington, age 19, who was also enumerated in the Cotten household, is shown as a "servant."



Ben Cotten's parents, according to the census, were each born in North Carolina, while Bettie's father was born in Alabama and her mother in Mississippi. Ben and Bettie, along with all children living in the household at the time the census was recorded, were shown to have been born in Mississippi.



The Washington family, headed by John's brother, James, and his wife, Sallie, are shown in the next household recorded on the census. Monrovia Washington, the mother of James and John, was also enumerated in the Washington household. Monrovia's place of birth, as well as that of her parents, was shown as "North Carolina." At the time the census was recorded, Monrovia Washington was shown to be 83 years old. All Washington family members were shown with the ethnic designation code "B" that was required on the U. S. Census that was taken in 1910 in Mississippi.



When I searched for early census information about other "Cotten" families in Mississippi, I found several families who lived in Leake and Neshoba counties. It appeared that some of these family members had migrated from South Carolina into Mississippi, and some of the families ended up moving to the community of Camden, Mississippi. Oral family histories over many years have indicated that some families who were pioneers in the area around Camden had Choctaw ancestry. Based on the migration path through Leake and Neshoba counties, where many Choctaws settled after the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1833, these family stories may be well worth the research involved.

Ebenezer United Methodist Church, Est. 1828

The Ebenezer United Methodist Church is one of the many old churches in Holmes County, with burials in the cemetery there dating back to the mid-late 1800's. A number of early residents whose graves are in this cemetery were members of the following families: Brown, Burney, Burwell, Ellison, Forbus, Harding, Harthcock, Killebrew, Lucas, Murtagh, Parsons, and Spell. In the weeks and months ahead, I plan to post photographs and write posts about some of these families.

About the Graveyard Rabbit

The poem printed here was the inspiration for The Association of Graveyard Rabbits, founded earlier this year by Terry Thornton and its Founding Member, footnoteMaven. A weekly synopsis of other Graveyard Rabbit posts appears each week on the association's home website www.thegraveyardrabbit.com.

Chapel of the Cross Cemetery

Madison, Mississippi

Many of you who have either owned a "rabbit's foot," or known someone who has, possibly may not have known the basis for the rabbit foot's professed good luck.

Frank Lebby Stanton's poem, shown here, explains that legend.

The Graveyard Rabbit

by Frank Lebby Stanton

In the white moonlight, where the willow waves,

He halfway gallops among the graves,

A tiny ghost in the gloom and gleam,

Content to dwell where the dead men dream,

But wary still: For they plot him ill;

For the graveyard rabbit hath a charm(May God defend us!) to shield from harm!

Over the shimmering slabs he goes,

Every grave in the dark he knows;

But his nest is hidden from human eye,

Where headstones broken on old graves lie.

Wary still! For they plot him ill:

For the graveyard rabbit, though skeptics scoff,

Charmeth the witch and the wizard off!

The black man creeps, when the night is dim,

Fearful, still, on the track of him;

Or fleety follows the way he runs,

For he heals the hurts of the conjured ones.

Wary still! For they plot him ill;

The soul's bewitched that would find release,

To the graveyard rabbit go for peace!

He holds their secret---he brings a boon,

Where winds moan wild in the dark o' the moon;

And gold shall glitter and love smile sweet,

To whoever shall sever his furry feet!

Wary still! For they plot him ill:

For the graveyard rabbit hath a charm(May God defend us!) to shield from harm.

About The Graveyard Rabbit

The poem printed here was the inspiration for the Association of Graveyard Rabbits, founded earlier this year by Terry Thornton and its Founding Member, footnoteMaven.

A weekly synopsis of other Graveyard Rabbit posts appears each week on the association's home website www.thegraveyardrabbit.com.

Many of you who have either owned a "rabbit's foot," or known someone who has, possibly may not have known the basis for the rabbit foot's professed good luck. Frank Lebby Stanton's poem explains that legend.

The Graveyard Rabbit

by Frank Lebby Stanton

In the white moonlight, where the willow waves,
He halfway gallops among the graves---
A tiny ghost in the gloom and gleam,
Content to dwell where the dead men dream,
But wary still: For they plot him ill;
For the graveyard rabbit hath a charm(May God defend us!) to shield from harm!
Over the shimmering slabs he goes---
Every grave in the dark he knows;
But his nest is hidden from human eye,
Where headstones broken on old graves lie.
Wary still! For they plot him ill:
For the graveyard rabbit, though skeptics scoff,
Charmeth the witch and the wizard off!
The black man creeps, when the night is dim,
Fearful, still, on the track of him;
Or fleety follows the way he runs,
For he heals the hurts of the conjured ones.
Wary still! For they plot him ill;
The soul's bewitched that would find release,
To the graveyard rabbit go for peace!
He holds their secret---he brings a boon,
Where winds moan wild in the dark o' the moon;
And gold shall glitter and love smile sweet,
To whoever shall sever his furry feet!
Wary still!For they plot him ill:
For the graveyard rabbit hath a charm(May God defend us!) to shield from harm.

New Graveyard Rabbit Sites

The Graveyard Rabbit of Attala County blogspot now has two new sister sites where I will be writing about Holmes County and Madison County cemeteries. I invite you to visit my original genea-blog, "Attala County Memories," as well as the two new blogs, "The Graveyard Rabbit of Holmes County" and "The Graveyard Rabbit of Madison County."

As I write about the cemeteries of these three counties, Attala, Holmes, and Madison, I welcome comments from my readers, and I anticipate hearing from you.

If you would like to read aggregated posts from the more than 50 Graveyard Rabbit bloggers who write from the U.S., Canada, The Netherlands, and the U.K., please visit the home site of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits at www.thegraveyardrabbit.com.

The Graveyard Rabbit Arrives in Madison County

Welcome to my first posting on the "Graveyard of Madison County" blog!

First, I feel honored to have the opportunity to write about the many old cemeteries located in Madison County. This particular area of Mississippi has always had a special appeal to me. Not only do I love the county's pastoral setting with its many beautiful homes, situated on tree-lined streets, but I can also feel and see the rich history of the area reflected in the culture and the architecture of old and new buildings there.

Much of Madison County's history can be gleaned from its many old and well-preserved cemeteries dating back to the early 1800's. One of these is the Canton City Cemetery, located in the town by the same name that has functioned as the county's center of government for over a century and a half. The large, white-columned courthouse, which makes up the center of the quaint town square, will be remembered by many as the setting for filming the movie made about John Grisham's first book, "A Time to Kill."

One of the most beautiful and interesting small cemeteries in Madison County is located about 5 miles from the town of Madison's Main Street. It is there at the cemetery behind the Chapel of the Cross that a number of old families who had significant roles in the formation of the county are buried. The very well-preserved Gothic-style Episcopal Church and its cemetery are said to be haunted, and the story of the ghost and his ladylove, the church's builder, has been a local legend for over a century. Currently, the Chapel of the Cross is the center of an active parish where members of the parish's "grave committee" actually dig the graves for parishioners and their families who are buried in the cemetery there. I plan to write about the history of this church, its cemetery, and its century-old legend in future posts.

I cannot write about Madison County, Mississippi, however, without writing about the Natchez Trace Parkway, part of which runs through Madison County near Ridgeland, Mississippi, a growing city that is located on the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Ridgeland is a progressive city that boasts the largest population in Madison County. A number of old rural cemeteries that date back to the time of early settlements by colonists who migrated to Mississippi are located in the deeply wooded areas that border the Natchez Trace. It was in some of those early settlements that French traders, members of the Choctaw Tribe, and other early settlers lived, died, and were buried.

Please join me in the coming months as I venture through the old graveyards of Madison County and tell the stories of those buried in them.

The Graveyard Rabbit Arrives in Madison County

Welcome to my first posting on the "Graveyard of Madison County" blog!

First, I feel honored to have the opportunity to write about the many old cemeteries located in Madison County. This particular area of Mississippi has always had a special appeal to me. Not only do I love the county's pastoral setting with its many beautiful homes, situated on tree-lined streets, but I can also feel and see the rich history of the area reflected in the culture and the architecture of old and new buildings there.

Much of Madison County's history can be gleaned from its many old and well-preserved cemeteries dating back to the early 1800's. One of these is the Canton City Cemetery, located in the town by the same name that has functioned as the county's center of government for over a century and a half. The large, white-columned courthouse, which makes up the center of the quaint town square, will be remembered by many as the setting for filming the movie made about John Grisham's first book, "A Time to Kill."

One of the most beautiful and interesting small cemeteries in Madison County is located about 5 miles from the town of Madison's Main Street. It is there at the cemetery behind the Chapel of the Cross that a number of old families who had significant roles in the formation of the county are buried. The very well-preserved Gothic-style Episcopal Church and its cemetery are said to be haunted, and the story of the ghost and his ladylove, the church's builder, has been a local legend for over a century. Currently, the Chapel of the Cross is the center of an active parish where members of the parish's "grave committee" actually dig the graves for parishioners and their families who are buried in the cemetery there. I plan to write about the history of this church, its cemetery, and its century-old legend in future posts.

I cannot write about Madison County, Mississippi, however, without writing about the Natchez Trace Parkway, part of which runs through Madison County near Ridgeland, Mississippi, a growing city that is located on the Ross Barnett Reservoir. Ridgeland is a progressive city that boasts the largest population in Madison County. A number of old rural cemeteries that date back to the time of early settlements by colonists who migrated to Mississippi are located in the deeply wooded areas that border the Natchez Trace. It was in some of those early settlements that French traders, members of the Choctaw Tribe, and other early settlers lived, died, and were buried.

Please join me in the coming months as I venture through the old graveyards of Madison County and tell the stories of those buried in them.

Welcome!

I am happy to announce today that I have started a new blog here where I will be writing about old graveyards of Madison County, Mississippi, and about those who are buried in them. "The Graveyard Rabbit of Madison County" is one of about 50 blogs written by members who blog from locations throughout the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and the U. K.

"The Association of Graveyard Rabbits" was founded in October of this year by Terry Thornton, a Mississippian, and a founding member known as "footNote Maven," who writes "Shades of the Departed." Terry also writes two blogs entitled "The Graveyard Rabbit of Hill Country" and "Hill Country of Monroe County." Although the association is still a new one, member "graveyard rabbits" continue to multiply and now blog about all things related to cemeteries from all over the U. S., Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

I invite you to visit the three sister blogs to "The Graveyard Rabbit of Madison County." They are "Attala County Memories," "The Graveyard Rabbit of Holmes County," and "The Graveyard Rabbit of Attala County."

I hope you will join me on my new journey throughout the many old graveyards located in Madison County, Mississippi. Not only do I hope to find your ancestors and mine, as well, but I look forward to writing about the events that made up their life stories.

Welcome!

I am happy to announce today that I have started a new blog here where I will be writing about old graveyards of Madison County, Mississippi, and about those who are buried in them. "The Graveyard Rabbit of Madison County" is one of about 50 blogs written by members who blog from locations throughout the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and the U. K.

"The Association of Graveyard Rabbits" was founded in October of this year by Terry Thornton, a Mississippian, and a founding member known as "footNote Maven," who writes "Shades of the Departed." Terry also writes two blogs entitled "The Graveyard Rabbit of Hill Country" and "Hill Country of Monroe County." Although the association is still a new one, member "graveyard rabbits" continue to multiply and now blog about all things related to cemeteries from all over the U. S., Canada, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

I invite you to visit the three sister blogs to "The Graveyard Rabbit of Madison County." They are "Attala County Memories," "The Graveyard Rabbit of Holmes County," and "The Graveyard Rabbit of Attala County."

I hope you will join me on my new journey throughout the many old graveyards located in Madison County, Mississippi. Not only do I hope to find your ancestors and mine, as well, but I look forward to writing about the events that made up their life stories.

New Graveyard Rabbit Blog for Holmes County

I am proud to announce that I have started a new blog about the old graveyards of Holmes County, Mississippi. The new blog is "The Graveyard Rabbit of Holmes County." Some of my first posts will be about my own ancestors whose names are Netherland, Pettus, and Trigleth, buried in cemeteries in Coxburg and in Ebenezer.

I hope that you will join me on this journey through these old graveyards where many of your family members may be buried, as well.

Welcome!

I would like to welcome you to my newest blog, "The Graveyard Rabbit of Holmes County."

In October of this year, Terry Thornton, another Mississippian whose writes several blogs, including "Hill Country of Monroe County" and "The Graveyard Rabbit of Hill Country," along with a fellow blogger, who writes "Shades of the Departed," founded a new blogger group named "The Association of Graveyard Rabbits." Membership is by invitation, and Terry was gracious enough to invite me to become a Charter Member.

As a Charter Member, I developed a blog entitled "The Graveyard Rabbit of Attala County," which serves as a sister blog to "Attala County Memories," where I have been writing about family history since July of this year. The mission or purpose of The Association of Graveyard Rabbits" is to promote historical importance of cemeteries, grave markers, and the family history that can be learned from a study of burial customs, burying grounds, and tombstones.

Just as rabbits multiply exponentially, members of the association have grown by leaps and bounds. There are over 50 Graveyard Rabbit blogs now, and they are written from all four corners of the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK.

I invite you to follow along with me on this journey through the many old graveyards of Holmes County, Mississippi.