Wordless Wednesday - Carlotta Nelson Fairchild's Mother

Source:  Digital Photo Collection
Privately Owned by J. Tracy

Grave Marker of Carlotta's Mother
Nelson Plot, Hillcrest Cemetery
Goodman, Mississippi

Christiana Fredrikka Nelson, Wife of W. R. Nelson
Born at Lovenholm Castle in Denmark on October 30, 1833
Died in Holmes County, Mississippi on January 25, 1917

Old St. Philip's Cemetery (Kirkwood Cemetery) near Camden, Mississippi

On Mississippi Memories today, I began a series of posts about the Hemingway family of Camden, South Carolina and Camden, Mississippi. Included in that post was a copy of a photograph of Henrietta Hemingway.

I first learned about the Hemingway family from Mitchell Sawyer, one of my readers and Henrietta's great-grandson, who contacted me and provided photos of the cleanup he organized of old St. Philips Cemetery, also known as Kirkwood Cemetery. Henrietta Hemingway is buried in this cemetery, along with former Mississippi governor William McWillie, members of McWillie's immediate family, and his long-time friend and business associate, Chapman Levy.

Henrietta Hemingway
b. April 6, 1799, d. April 8, 1860
Buried in Kirkwood Cemetery
Madison County, Mississippi



Henrietta Hemingway
(photograph courtesy of Mitchell Sawyer)

In one of his emails, Mitchell related a story about his great-grandmother: "My Hemingway ancestors left Duesbury England on the Ship Majestic and arrived in Charleston Harbor in 1829. Settled in the Camden, SC area which is how they knew Governor McWillie. In fact, the 'tale' in the family is that Catherine (Gov.'s wife) prepared my great grandmother Henrietta Hemingway's hair on her wedding day."

I hope you will join me at Mississippi Memories to read more about members of the Hemingway family who migrated to Mississippi during the mid-1800's.

Tombstone Tuesday - William Bailey Neatherland and Martha Elizabeth Garrard

William Bailey Neatherland and Martha Elizabeth Garrard, my maternal great-grandparents, are buried in Coxburg Cemetery, in the old community of Coxburg, Mississippi, near Lexington, the county seat of Holmes County. William Bailey Neatherland and Martha Elizabeth Garrard Neatherland were parents of nine children, including my maternal grandfather, Ralph Ernest Netherland. William was born on May 22, 1845 in Scotland and died in Holmes County, Mississippi on May 24, 1937. Martha Elizabeth Garrard was born on September 8, 1853 in Kentucky, and she died on January 17 1939, just a few months after her 85th birthday. Coxburg Cemetery is the burial place of many other Neatherland/Netherland family members as well as members of several allied families, including the Bass, Harthcock, Killebrew, Pettus, Thomas, Trigleth, and Ziegler families.

Source: Digital Photograph Collection, Privately held by Janice Tracy

Hillcrest Cemetery - Goodman, Mississippi

Hillcrest Cemetery in Goodman, Mississippi, located in Holmes County, holds the history of almost two generations of my father's family. Pictured here is the double grave marker of my paternal grandparents, Clark Commander Branch and Lelia Porter Branch, located in a newer section of Hillcrest Cemetery, in Goodman, Holmes County, Mississippi. As the inscriptions on the gravestone states, Clark Branch was born on August 9, 1899, and Lelia Porter Branch was born on July 17, 1904. This photograph was taken by my parents several months after my grandfather's burial and not very long after the gravestone was placed at the gravesite. As you can see, my grandmother's inscription shows only her date of birth, as she continued to live almost twelve years after her husband's death. She never remarried, and when she died on January 16, 1991, Lelia Porter Branch was buried next to her husband.

Hillcrest Cemetery is the burial place for many early residents of the area who lived in the Goodman area or "just over the Big Black River," in Attala County, where members of the Branch and Porter families had settled over 150 years ago. My grandmother's immediate family, except for one brother, are buried here in this cemetery. The graves of her parents, J. J. Porter and Margaret Susannah ("Maggy") Merriweather Porter, along with five of her brothers and sisters, Etta Porter Parker, Leonard Porter, James Porter, Newell Autry Porter, and Vertie Porter, are located nearby. Another brother, Clarence Porter, is buried in Jessamine Cemetery in Ridgeland, Mississippi, near where he had lived most of his adult life, and in the same cemetery in which my own parents have chosen to be buried.

Members of my grandfather's family interred in Hillcrest Cemetery include at least one of his four sisters, Stella Branch Young and her husband, Woodard Young, and their mother, Claudia Baldridge Branch. Edward Arthur Branch, Claudia's husband and father of her five children, died when my grandfather was 15 years old and is buried in Good Hope Cemetery near Camden, Mississippi, in Madison County. An account of Ed Branch's death, along with a photo of his Woodmen of the World gravestone, can be seen here.

Wordless Wednesday - Midway Cemetery, Calhoun County, MS

The double Gravestone of Bobby Van Franklin and Jerry Hensley Franklin, located in Midway Cemetery, Calhoun County, Mississippi, shows no dates of birth for either person, and their relationship to each other is unknown. But the double heart-shaped stone that marks their graves is a loving tribute to the two individuals who died on the same day, June 20, 1938.

Tombstone Tuesday - Rev. Jesse Morgan

The grave of Rev. Jesse Morgan, a minister of the Evangelical Lutheran faith, is located in Beth Eden Cemetery near Louisville, Mississippi. The cemetery, located adjacent to Beth Eden Lutheran Church in rural Winston County, contains over 200 graves, many of them marked with modest gravestones placed there during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Rev. Morgan's grave marker is inscribed with his dates of birth and death, along with an engraving of an open Bible surrounded by ivy leaves. Rev. Morgan was a young minister when he came to early Winston County after it was formed from lands ceded by the Choctaw Nation.

Above: The grave marker of Rev. Jesse Morgan
b. July 1, 1819, d. July 4, 1883

Tombstone Tuesday

The statue of a young woman, with her head bowed, and holding a small basket in her left hand, graces the grave of Lula Fancher, wife of C. C. Fancher. Lula Fancher's grave monument looks out over Bear Creek Cemetery, near McCool, Mississippi, where a number of other Fancher family members are also buried. Lula Fancher was born in January 1881 and died on December 21, 1905. As her monument states, her age was "24 ys, 11 ms, and 6 ds." Directly below the statue are the words "God is Love."

The inscription on the base of the grave marker, above the name "Fancher" includes the beautiful words shown that C. C. Fancher used to describe his wife:

"As a wife devoted.

As a mother affectionate.

As a friend ever kind and true.

In life she exhibited all the graces of a Christian.

In death her redeemed spirit returned to God who gave it."

Michael E. Haffey, born in County Donegal, Ireland

Michael E. Haffey is one of fourteen Haffey family members buried in St. Mary of the Springs Cemetery, an old Catholic cemetery located near Rayville, in Madison County, Mississippi. Haffey, born in County Donegal, Ireland, was 74 years old when he died on January 7, 1921. He is one of many early immigrants to the United States who migrated to Madison County, Mississippi in the mid-late 1800's who are buried in St. Mary of the Springs Cemetery. Haffey's aged and weathered gravestone is pictured here.

Just one year before Michael Haffey's death, two Haffey households were enumerated on the U. S. Census, taken in Madison County. One household was headed by Michael, a 73 year-old farmer, and included his South Carolina-born wife, Mary, age 67, two adult sons, and four adult daughters. Haffey's parents were born in Ireland, and Mary's parents were born in Germany and England. Michael Haffey immigrated to the U.S. in 1865, was naturalized in 1874, and was the only member of his family not born in the United States. The two adult sons in the household included Jim, a farmer, age 45, and Will J., age 29, a laborer. Two of the four Haffey daughters, Sadie and Kate, were not employed. Maggie, age 43, worked as a bookkeeper, and Edith, age 27, was a teacher. All members of the Haffey household spoke English.

The second household enumerated in 1920 was headed by Catherine Haffey, a 75 year-old Irish-born widow, and both families lived in the Sulphur Springs community near St. Mary's Catholic Church. Ironically, Catherine and Michael died in the same year. Other Haffey family members buried in St. Mary of the Springs Catholic Cemetery are:

Ann Haffey, b. 1877, d. 1954

Catherine Haffey, b 1844, d. 1921

Charley Haffey, b. 1877, d. 1933

Edward Haffey, b. unk, d. unk
James Michael Haffey, b. unk, d. Aug. 14, 1959

Kate A. Haffey, b. unk, d. Apr. 1, 1974

Maggie Haffey, b. 1871, d. 1928

Haffey, Maggie E., b. unk, d. Oct. 9, 1929

Haffey, Mary F., b 1851, d. 1947

Michael Haffey, b. unk., d. Jan. 7, 1921

Patrick Haffey, b. 1845, d. 1899

Sebastian L. Haffey, b. unk, d. unk
William Haffey, b. unknown d. Aug. 4, 1909
William J. Haffey, b. 1891 d. 1948

Canton Cemetery

Entrance to the Canton Cemetery, located
in Canton, Mississippi, the county seat of
Madison County (Photo courtesy of Natalie Maynor)



A view of this old cemetery that contains
almost 3,000 graves, with many dating back to
the early 1800's (Photo courtesy of Natalie Maynor)

The town of Canton, Mississippi, is the location for this old and historic cemetery, where some families have buried their loved ones for almost two centuries. The cemetery is definitely a place to start for those who are tracing family roots in Madison County or the nearby counties of Attala, Holmes, and Yazoo. The Madison County Courthouse is also located in Canton, and it contains a wealth of genealogy information that dates back to the early 1800's. The courthouse, a large antebellum structure situated in the center of the downtown square, was the setting for filming portions of the movie version of John Grisham's novel, "A Time to Kill."

Kirkwood Cemetery

Gravestone of William McWillie
Former Gov. of the State of Mississippi
Kirkwood Cemetery, Camden, MS
b. November 17, 1795, d. March 3, 1869

The gravesite of William McWillie, former Governor of the State of Mississippi, is seen in the picture above of Kirkwood Cemetery, near the site of the McWillie family home that was known as "Kirkwood." A photograph of former Governor McWillie's official portrait as Governor of Mississippi, is also shown above.

Kirkwood Cemetery and the old McWillie home site are located in a heavily pine-forested and remote northeast corner of Madison County, near the community known as Camden. Also buried in the cemetery are members of the McWillie family, including some family members of his two wives.

William McWillie was born on November 17, 1795 in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. While still living in South Carolina and while still a young man, McWillie served in the War of 1812. After migrating to Mississippi, McWillie was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and between 1849 and 1851, he served as a representative from Mississippi's 3rd District. Several years later, McWillie was elected Governor of Mississippi, where he headed the state government from 1857 to 1859.

The gravemarker for William McWillie's second wife, Catharine, interestingly fashioned in the form of an open book, is pictured below.


Gravestone marking the burial place of
Catherine Anderson McWillie, second wife of William McWillie.
Catharine died on June 8, 1873, at the age of 61 years .

Old Liberty Hill Church and Cemetery - Brister Road?

Last week, Mike Steen, of the Holmes County Herald, was kind enough to print in the newspaper a copy of a letter to the Editor that I wrote announcing this blog. My letter, emailed to the newspaper, contained my name and address, something that is required by most newspapers when writing such a letter. This past Monday, I received a wonderful letter, via snail mail, from a dear reader of the newspaper. Her letter was of the hand-written, personal kind, a definite anomaly in today's electronic world, and I sincerely appreciate the fact that she took the time to write the letter and mail it.

In the letter she wrote to me, this Holmes County resident expressed her appreciation in these words: "I want to thank you for the Graveyard Rabbit of Holmes County.....I think this is so great to have this blog." Also, the reader asked for help in identification of some "unmarked graves in the Liberty Hill Cemetery." She also provided the location of the cemetery, stating it was near the "Old Liberty Hill Church" on Brister Road, about two miles outside of the town of Durant, Mississippi on the way to West, Mississippi.

To date, I have not been successful in locating this particular cemetery. I did find a cemetery with the same name, but it is near the intersection of Ebenezer Road and Richard Travis Road, just east of Brozville. Identification of unmarked graves may be next to impossible unless someone can be found who is old enough to remember the burials, or at least someone who may recall the names of early families who buried their loved ones in this cemetery.

I have already written a reply to the individual who contacted me, assuming that she does not have access to email, in which I wrote something similar to what is in the paragraph above. I do hope, however, that someone who reads this blog will be familiar with the Old Liberty Hill Church and its cemetery on Old Brister Road. And if you are that person, please send me a comment on this post...this Graveyard Rabbit needs some help.

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.