Pictures don’t look as pretty on grey days at winter’s end, but that’s the kind of day it was when I stopped by Grigsby Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery a few weeks ago.
I don’t have as much context for this post as I’d like. Perhaps any local historians could chime in down in the comments, but I couldn’t find much online about the church, the cemetery, or even the Grigsbys, even though they have not only a church but a road named for them!
At least I know where they are now:
As you can see, this cemetery has been here for awhile. The church was established in 1851, and the earliest marked burial is dated 1864. One online source suggested that earlier graves are unmarked.
It’s still an active cemetery, with the most recent burial occurring in 2013. Which means that alongside the traditional stones we have ones with more modern touches:
I don’t know the story of this young man, but his stone touched me, with a picture of him forever frozen in one happy moment in time. But the graves of children always get to me, even when they are very simple:
One family was especially unfortunate:
Someone still comes back and remembers this little fellow:
And these twins:
In almost every older graveyard I’ve visited, you’ll find one area with all the older stones. Not so here. It was odd how mixed up everything was, and even though this is an exceptionally flat graveyard for hilly East Tennessee, the graves were scattered more then usual, with less of an attempt at making rows. Not that I care–straight lines are boring anyway. But it’s unusual.
There are a lot of Kelleys buried here. Also many Newcombs (spelled various ways), along with members of the Vinsant, Lovelace, Bates, Herron, and Letsinger families. Some stones appeared to be hand-lettered.
For whatever reason, the older stones here were extremely hard to decipher.
This cemetery is mown and free of sticks or old flowers. Of course, like all cemeteries, there are a few broken stones, along with signs that the site has experienced growing pains over the years.
It’s always a treat to find a relative. The young mother below is my fourth cousin, twice removed:
It’s hard to read, but this is a lovely traditional epitaph:
Sleep on my dear and take thy rest. God called thee home for he thought best.
This is weird to say, but I love cemeteries. There is an old pioneer cemetery near us that we go to and clean it up. The city is supposed to clean, but it’s not top priority. They’re peaceful and full of history. Thanks for sharing.
That is so nice of you to do that! The more I blog about graveyards, the more I come to realize what a huge problem maintenance is. Once the families are gone, there is no one left to care, and that’s sad.
I love looking through old cemeteries too. The babies’ stone especially touch me. I feel so bad for the families that could only afford to put a simple stone that say “baby” and nothing else. My dad has a sister that died when she was 18 months old and we have trouble finding her grave for that very reason.
I know–I can almost feel their pain across the years. I can’t imagine what it was like to live in the times when so many babies died. I’ve heard that parents just didn’t get as attached to their kids back then but I don’t believe it.
Such a wonderful article, a nice walk down memory lane. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
I remember Grigsby Chapel Church very well–loved attending services – weddings – showers – and not enjoyed funerals . It is a sad rememberance of things passed and also many happier times ..thanks so much for sharing..
Thanks for reading and commenting. I actually enjoy funerals–not tragic early deaths but ones for old people who have lived a good long life.
GRIGSBY CHAPEL CEMETERY
(Grigsby Chapel Road, off Campbell Station Road)
Compiled and contributed by David Donahue
This cemetery is located at Grigsby Chapel United Methodist Church on Grigsby Chapel Road, off Campbell Station Road north of Kingston Pike. Perhaps as many as 50 percent of the graves are either unmarked or marked only by plain cut marble markers. The oldest part of the cemetery probably is the now nearly vacant area on the eastern side. There are several large vacant areas with only sunken spots. Some of the oldest parts of this cemetery may be being reused. This cemetery was recorded April 15, 1989, and was checked October 11, 1989. Update January 20, 1997.
Ballard, Maggie, 10/1/1880-2/11/1972, “Mother” footstone\Ballard, John, 8/22/1854-5/26/1910, “Father” footstone
Ballard, Melvin Jessie, 5/20/1909-12/8/1987
Barrett, Gladys [see Lee, Gladys Barrett]
Bates, J. S., 5/15/1877-9/10/1902
Bates, J. T., 3/12/1848-11/29/1912
Bates, Jesse A., 5/27/1916-5/29/1916\Bates, Clarence T., 1/10/1918-1/13/1918
Bates, Jesse W., 2/13/1894-11/10/1972\Bates, Katie E., 3/12/1898-11/1/1982\Bates, Dorothy, 12/13/1920-12/13/1921
Bates, Jessie May, 1/5/1906-4/24/1906
Bates, Johnny, 2/27/1921, “Infant son of T. A. & Sarah Bates”
Bates, Leonard, 5/13/1917-1/29/1920, “Son of J. W. & Katie Bates”
Bates, Martha, 1859-1940, “Mother” [adjacent to marker for J. T. Bates]
Bates, Nellie, 9/11/1882-4/12/1909, “Wife of W. A. Bates”
Bates, Pearl, 12/3/1918-2/16/1920, “Dau. of J. W. & Katie Bates”
Bates, Roxanna, dates unreadable [infant-type marker, eroded almost to unreadable, 2 yards south of marker for Henderson F. Lawson]
Bates, Tilman, 9/29/1889-1/3/1929, “Father”
Beeler, Maude [see Tolle, Maude Beeler]
Black, Cecel, 10/23/1924-1/23/1925
Esther, 6/13/1904-4/28/1980, “Wife”\Black, James F., 3/24/1901-10/12/1996, “Husband”
Black, Louise Hutson, 11/9/1882-6/11/1968, “Mother”\Black, James, 12/19/1879-6/26/1953, “Father”
Black, Roy, 1904-1929, “Brother” [probably brother of James F. Black and son of James Black and Louise Hutson Black]
Boring, Pleasant, 7/11/1880-7/22/1881, “Son of J. A. & E. F. Boring”
Buck, John Vernon, Sr., 5/22/1936-11/8/1987, “Army PFC in Korean War. He left a wife, two sons, two daughters to carry on,” military marker as footstone “PFC US Army Korea”
Buffalo, Marget E., 2/2/1857-1/5/1901, “Wife of J. J. Buffalo” “Mother”
Buffalow, Joseph J., d. 2/4/1916, “Age 64 Years” “Father”\Buffalow, Lizzie Hutson, 11/5/1878-5/9/1972, “His Wife”
Burns, Bessie Mae, 1/23/1900-11/12/1933
Casteel, James B., 5/23/1891-6/26/1974, “Brother”
Casteel, Joe L., 6/22/1888-6/7/1958, “Father” footstone\Casteel, Bessie Dowling, 5/12/1892-9/15/1943, “Mother” footstone
Clowson, Elizabeth, 9/13/1806-8/1/1864
Crawford, Glen E., 11/11/1936-____ [seems to be realted to Ruby E. and Charles N. Seaton]
Crawford, Henry A., 4/19/1913-4/4/1946
Cross, Mary Jane [see Lovelace, Mary Jane Cross]
Cummings, Infant, 5/25/1889-5/26/1889, “Infant son of George & Parthena Cummings”
Dalton, James H., 9/9/1912-8/9/1994, military marker “Pvt US Army World War II”; also temporary marker, Smith Funeral Home, “James Henry Dalton”
Dalton, Mae, 11/21/1915-5/8/1934 [replacement]
Dalton, Susie, 6/1/1882-3/23/1930 [replacement]
Dalton, William J., 11/22/1879-7/12/1955 [replacement]
Davis, Lucile Hayes, 10/28/1917-9/9/1958, “Mother”
Derrick, Kender R., 1/11/1916-____\Derrick, Edith N., 4/25/1917-12/11/1989
Derrick, Richard K., born & died 11/30/1939, “Son of Mr. & Mrs. Kender Derrick”
Dowling, Bessie [see Casteel, Bessie Dowling]
Evans, Charles, 1923-1933
Evans, Ibby, 1899-1934 [adjacent to marker for Thomas Evans]
Evans, Louise, 1/12/1927-1/29/1927
Evans, Thomas, 4/15/1885-12/27/1961, military marker “Tennessee Pvy Sup Co 28 Infantry World War I”
Eyebett?, Margarett R., 4/26/1843-8/16/1866
Fox, James A., 11/15/1857-6/21/1919\Fox, Lenora M. M. Scott, 6/4/1861-1/19/1936, “His Wife”
Glass, Terry Lee, 8/2/1960-2/7/1977
Graves, Infant, 10/17/1943, “Infant dau. of Mr. & Mrs. Walter Graves”
Grigsby, N. B., 9/2/1805-3/22/1883
Grigsby, T. A., 2/16/1813-2/13/1887
Hayes, Carrie L., 5/3/1891-10/11/1963, “Wife of E. H. Hayes”
Hayes, E. H., 12/18/1884-5/30/1972, “Husband of Carrie L. Hayes”
Hayes, J. H., Jr., born & died 10/1/1906, “Infant son of J. H. & Lizzie Hayes”
Hayes, Lucile [see Davis, Lucille Hayes]
Herron, Amanda M., 3/11/1844-12/30/1893, “Wife of J. M. Herron”
Herron, Beulah Prater, 6/7/1881-12/13/1964 [adjacent to marker for James Eaton Herron]
Herron, Blanch R., 3/17/1888-____, “Mother”\Herron, Pleas H., 10/31/1886-4/20/1945, “Father”
Herron, Charles Frank, 11/22/1883-3/6/1960, “Father”
Herron, Charles L., 6/23/1918-8/11/1970, military marker “Tennessee PFC US Army World War II”
Herron, Delia [see Holloway, Delia Herron]
Herron, Dora T., 8/21/1891-2/23/1954, “Mother” [adjacent to marker for Charles Frank Herron]
Herron, Earl A., 11/25/1922-7/6/1964, military marker as footstone “Tennessee PFC 335 Infantry World War II BSM-PH” [marker is partially buried]
Herron, Earl L., 10/18/1912-7/8/1965, military marker as footstone “Tennessee PFC Medical Department World War II”\Herron, Eleanor B., 7/12/1924-6/27/1976, “Mother” footstone
Herron, Irene, no dates, “Daughter of W. S. & Pearl Herron”
Herron, Irene H., 12/17/1913-4/22/1981
Herron, James Eaton, 4/17/1879-5/25/1953
Herron, James M., 2/25/1842-3/10/1908
Herron, John H. 3/16/1910-11/5/1962
Herron, Matilda Morrison, 4/3/1868-8/29/1909, “Wife of W. S. Herron”
Herron, Pearl V., 1880-1959 [adjacent to marker for William S. Herron]
Herron, S. M., 1870-1952\Herron, Katie Kelley, 1873-1966
Herron, Susan C., 3/12/1849-3/30/1935, “Mother”\Herron, Joseph H., 3/19/1847-1/7/1926, “Father”
Herron, William N., 10/22/1907-10/9/1967, “Tennessee PFC Quartermaster Corps World War II” [based on marker positions, he seems to be the son of James Eaton Herron and Beulah Prater Herron]
Herron, William S., 1868-1942
Hickey, Almira, 1/23/1856-3/11/1914, “Wife of Daniel Vinsant”
Hobbs, Nancy R., 1/27/1865-9/13/????, “Wife of Samuel Hobbs” (broken at death date, heavy lichen encrustation)
Holloway, Delia Herron, 5/27/1881-2/10/1907, “Wife of J. L. Holloway”
Howard, G. L., no dates, military marker “Co. D. 3rd Tenn. Inf.”
Howard, G. L., 10/23/1813-11/13/1882
Hutson, Andrew J., 6/27/1859-2/24/1938\Hutson, Jane, 4/4/1848-4/14/1934 [replacement]
Hutson, Lizzie [see Buffalow, Lizzie Hutson]
Hutson, Louise [see Black, Louise Hutson]
Jackson, Bertha [see Newcomb, Bertha Jackson]
Jackson, Joe H., 6/14/1886-2/5/1957 [artificial flowers spelling “Dad”]\Jackson, Needa M., 8/11/1913-11/5/1981 [artificial flowers spelling “Mom”]
Jackson, Ramsom E., 6/7/1898-6/14/1916
Johnson, Donald V., 4/3/1946-9/3/1962, “Son”
Johnson, John A., 10/2/1956-2/4/1969
Kelley, Alpha F., 12/28/1924-1/3/1935
Kelley, Cleo Jane, 2/7/1933-2/27/1988
Kelley, Dollie Lee, 9/10/1906-4/17/1938
Kelley, Ebenezer, 1/10/1883-11/22/1961
Kelley, Frank Sitton, Jr., 4/21/1939-5/23/1952
Kelley, Joe A., 12/18/1880-4/25/1938\Kelley, Mancie, 8/7/1881-11/18/1974
Kelley, Katie [see Herron, Katie Kelley]
Kelley, Mary, 8/18/1926-8/18/1926\Kelley, Marjorie, 8/18/1926-8/18/1926
Kelley, Samuel J., 3/20/1878-4/8/1961, “Father” footstone\Kelley, Matilda W., 5/16/1884-7/29/1967, “Mother” footstone
Lawson, Henderson F., 3/17/1885-8/6/1905 [Masonic symbol]
Lee, Billie B., 8/13/1917-3/9/1945
Lee, Jeff D., 12/27/1882-6/8/1978\Lee, Lydia B., 12/7/1888-11/27/1966
Lee, Judy Jane, 1/28/1945-9/17/1947 [replacement]
Lee, Marilyn Alyce, 9/17/1952-3/26/1954 [replacement]
Lee, Mary Lou, 10/23/1939-10/23/1939
Lee, Patsy Ann, 8/14/1938-6/18/1944 [replacement]
Lee, Ralph Ramon, 10/4/1909-12/9/1993\Lee, Gladys Barrett, 10/15/1915-____
Lee, Sharon L., 9/1/1948-9/2/1948
Letsinger, Gene W., 12/31/1921-1/6/1931
Letsinger, Hester C., 12/18/1941-1/1/1942
Letsinger, Lewis, 1873-1923\Letsinger, Eliza Ann, 1876-1943
Letsinger, Louis, born & died 2/10/1919 [replacement]
Letsinger, Mary R., 1899-1963, “Mother” footstone\Letsinger, Lee J., 1891-1968, “Father” footstone
Letsinger, Wayne A., 5/9/1925-11/25/1935
Light, James Sam, 11/28/1905-11/18/1972, military marker as footstone “James Samuel Light” “Tennessee S1 US Navy World War II”\Light, Ruth L., 12/24/1912-____
Light, Myrtle [see Neely, Myrtle Light]
Lovelace, Alene H., 5/20/1916-12/10/1954 [adjacent to marker for Walter W. Lovelace]
Lovelace, John Robert, 1897-1976\Lovelace, Elsie N., 1910-1996, “Married Dec. 23, 1932” [older primary marker]
Lovelace, Robert, 9/12/1897-2/5/1976, “Dad”\Lovelace, Elsie, 8/11/1910-6/6/1996, “Mom” [newer marker used as footstone]
Lovelace, Mary Jane Cross, 10/6/1875-2/3/1964, “Mother” footstone\Lovelace, George W., 4/27/1871-8/8/1960, “Father” footstone
Lovelace, Rudolph G., 6/13/1904-____\Lovelace, James Leonard, born & died 7/9/1937\Lovelace, Bonnie Kate, 9/11/1912-12/12/1958
Lovelace, Walter W., 10/3/1908-5/26/1951 [Masonic symbol]
Marlow, Nova H., 5/28/1905-7/17/1983
Marlow, Thomas, 9/6/1895-6/18/1980, military marker “US Army World War I”
Martin, Dorothy I., 10/5/1926-1/30/1929, “Dau. of R. R. & Gertrude Martin”
Martin, Robert, 3/13/1933\Martin, Roy, 3/13/1933, “Infant sons of Mr. &. Mrs. R. R. Martin
McCarter, Ben Albert, 6/3/1937-7/18/1973, military marker as footstone “Tennessee A2C US Air Force”\McCarter, Mary Alice, 7/18/1938-7/18/1973, “Mother” footstone [footstone positions are in reverse order from the names on the headstone]
McCarter, Bryson, 4/7/1900-11/11/1977\McCarter, Lizzie, 9/25/1904-10/12/1989
McCarter, Carl V., 12/16/1921-11/12/1966, “Father” footstone
McCarter, Herbert J., 11/3/1925-2/1/1978, military marker as footstone “SFC US Army World War II Korea”\McCarter, Maria A., 9/24/1926-____
McCarter, Stacy Lynn, 8/26/1978-9/17/1978
McLain, Eddie L., 8/24/1943-3/12/1982, military marker “SP4 US Army Vietman” [also temporary marker, Rose Mortuary, “Eddie Leroy McLain”]
Morrison, Mary C., 8/26/1866-3/19/1895
Morrison, Matilda [see Herron, Matilda Morrison]
Morrison, Thomas G., 7/27/1873-3/19/1895
Neely, Myrtle Light, 3/18/1885-8/27/1972
Nelson, Flora T., 11/23/1891-5/4/1967, “Mom”\Nelson, Frank, 3/1/1880-5/8/1970, “Dad” “Married Dec. 7, 1911”
Nelson, Harold R., 3/26/1930-1/25/1947
Nelson, William, 8/15/1829-11/12/1891
Newcomb, Alfred, 4/14/1928-1/8/1929 (homemade) [this difficult-to-read marker is 2 yards west of the marker for Louis Letsinger]
Newcomb, Bertha Jackson, 2/24/1918-2/6/1987, “Mother” footstone\Newcomb, Richard Hale, 8/1/1915-1/29/1977, “Father” footstone
Newcomb, Carrie, 9/17/1902-9/17/1902 (homemade)
Newcomb, Dale Allen, 4/5/1939-7/28/1939 [replacement]
Newcomb, Dennis E., 1955-1956
Newcomb, Frank E., 9/1/1893-3/22/1972\Newcomb, Stella J., 1/4/1904-____
Newcomb, Georgia E., 12/10/1889-9/29/1947, “Mother” [replacement]
Newcomb, I. N., 1874-1931
Newcomb, John W., 6/6/1883-10/6/1971\Newcomb, Georgia E., 12/10/1889-9/29/1947\Newcomb, Laura L., 3/6/1884-7/27/1914
Newcomb, Laura, 3/6/1884-7/27/1914 (homemade)
Newcomb, Lloyd “Ted,” 6/20/1926-5/12/1984, “Dad” footstone
Newcomb, Tassie Ree, born & died 3/10/1910\Newcomb, Isabell, born & died 3/10/1910 (homemade)
Newcombe, Corda, 10/22/1897-8/6/1938
Newcombe, Irene [see Tindell, Irene Newcombe]
Newcombe, James A., 8/19/1936-9/7/1936
Newcome, Clarence, 5/6/1906-4/7?/1907 (homemade)
Newcome, Flora, 4/9/1918-2/16/1919 (homemade) [these two small, difficult-to-read markers are 5 feet and 2 feet south of the marker for I. N. Newcombe]
Oliver, Jeff V., 8/10/1901-6/9/1976, “Father” footstone\Oliver, Lula K., 7/27/1903-____, “Mother” footstone
Oliver, Naomi L., 4/8/1924-1/16/1982, “Mother” footstone\Oliver, Jeff V., Jr., 6/20/1922-____, “Father” footstone
Ownby, Patricia Gail, 7/4/1942-4/10/1975
Palmer, Infant, born & died 1956, “Infant son of Mr. & Mrs. W. P. Palmer”
Phelps, Dollie Ritter, 4/10/1869-1/27/1948 (fallen)
Prater, Beulah [see Herron, Beulah Prater]
Raby, M. F., 2/5/????-5/26/1935 (homemade) [birth year may by 1931 or 1934; marker is 6 yards south of marker for Nellie Bates]
Ritter, Dollie [see Phelps, Dollie Ritter]
Rolen, Hilla, 6/9/1822-8/16/1896\Rollen, George W., 2/10/1812-8/16/1866
Scott, Bill, no dates (homemade) [3 yards east of marker for Nellie Bates]
Scott, Emma, 8/3/1892-2/14/1940\Scott, Dorothy L., 5/23/1915-6/9/1915, “Daughter of Mr. & Mrs. M. T. Scott” [replacement]
Scott, Ibby, 10/13/1822-1/9/1905
Scott, Lenora M. M. [see Fox, Lenora M. M. Scott]
Seaton, John F., Jr., 1/13/1943-6/19/1966
Seaton, John L., 2/6/1905-3/6/1971
Seaton, Ruby E., 7/25/1915-1/25/1995\Seaton, Charles N., 3/26/1902-10/10/1988
Sitton, Lucy, 2/11/1922-6/10/1941
Sweet, Eloise, 9/25/1915-10/22/1941\Sweet, Emma, 1/25/1896-7/31/1969\Sweet, Roy Kirk, 5/12/1917-____
Taylor, Joan, 10/11/1939-12/14/1939
Tindell, Clarence McNeal, 4/22/1902-12/27/1968
Tindell, Irene Newcombe, 4/17/1905-10/18/1973 [adjacent to marker for Clarence McNeal Tindell]
Tindell, James Pete, 8/5/1941-12/24/1952 [replacement]
Tolle, Maude Beeler, 12/26/1903-1/8/1936, “Wife of Russell Tolle”
Vinsant, Almira Hickey, 1/23/1856-3/11/1914, “Wife of Daniel Vinsant”
Vinsant, Daniel, d. 7/29/1903, “Aged 86 Years”
Vinsant, G. W., 4/26/1889-4/22/1885 [This is how it reads!!!!]
Vinsant, Laura D., 1/5/1883-9/11/1902
Vinsant, Susan, 3/9/1814-3/9/1879 [adjacent to marker for Daniel Vinsant]
Wallen, Celous Y., 11/23/1903-3/4/1990, military marker “US Army World War II”
Wallen, Portia N., 6/10/1955-12/9/1984, “Wife” footstone
Wallen, Virginia, 2/2/1925-3/3/1925
Wallen, W. H., 5/26/1878-10/12/1958\Wallen, Ettie E., 8/28/1886-4/23/1965
White, Louise, 7/13/1915-6/24/1917, “Dau. of Neal & Lovie White”
White, Mary Elizabeth, 1894-1923, “Wife of Robert N. White”
Wice, Anna L., born & died 5/16/1890
Wice, Carlinda L., 4/20/1857-4/18/1908, “Mother”\Wice, Mattie M., 9/6/1892-1/1/1911, “Daughter”
Wice, J. E., 12/8/1860-10??/13/1930 (painted)
Youngblood, Elizabeth, 3/10/1812-4/27/1886, “Wife of Garland Youngblood”
Unidentifiable
Am____ A_____ (homemade)
Baby
E. C. [footstone]
E. R. [footstone]
S. M. N. [footstone adjacent to marker for Myrtle Light Neely]
W. C. [footstone]
Return to Knox County, Tennessee Cemeteries On-Line
We really are kindred spirits!! I LOVE graveyards and have folders filled with similar images. I also do a lot of praying there!!