[Email from a researcher] This cemetery is likely to be the burying ground of Bethel Church, an African-American Baptist congregation originally located at Mack but later relocated to McBroom road near Mount Pleasant when the Mack site became part of the Prison Farm.

In researching Lauderdale County cemeteries in search of my maternal grandparents, I recognized two names in the "Unknown" cemetery:  Joe Richmond, who was my father's friend and contemporary, and Ham Stocker, who was my Aunt Minnie Epps' (nee Stocker) brother. These men and their families lived and farmed around Mack as early as the turn of the 20th century, and were long-time tenants on the Walter Wright farm (which later passed to his son, Thomas Bennett.) This background was related to me years ago by my father, Emmett Epps, who himself moved from Arkansas into the Wright's home in 1896, grew to adulthood there, married my mother, Annie Lanier, set-up his own household and farmed on the Wright place where our family lived until the early twenties.

My mother's parents, Bryant Lanier and Nancy Lanier (nee Parker) also were Wright farm tenants during this time.  Apparently, the Richmonds, Stockers, Laniers and Eppses all attended Bethel Church at Mack and my grandfather, Bryant, is probably buried there. I regret that none of my relatives are alive who could verify this.

Walter Bennett Epps