TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS FROM BLACK CEMETERIES
IN CARROLL COUNTY, TENNESSEE
Compiled by Jonathan K. T. Smith
Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 2000

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REEDY CREEK CEMETERY

Located in McLemoresville, Tennessee. From Highway 77 in this town turn onto College Street, drive about .3 mile to Adams Street, drive over this street about .1 mile to the Reedy Creek Missionary Baptist Church (built in 1957); the cemetery is located behind the church, on a long, gentle slope. This black congregation has been in existence since 1868 when the local whites turned it over to them and their Baptist congregation moved into Trezevant. It has long served as a community burial ground for black folk of the area. It may be that blacks were buried in the large cemetery in McLemoresville, near Reedy Creek Cemetery, in antebellum times, but if so evidences of their graves have disappeared.

D/DAVID HALL July 10, 1906- LUELLA B. HALL December 15, 1913-March 8, 1988 They gave their today for our tomorrow MAE HENRY BELL May 25, 1925-April 3, 1991 JOE DAVID HALL August 8, 1930-December 12, 1981

D/THELOPIS TOWNSELL December 25, 1907-December 17, 1997 MAMIE LOU TOWNSELL July 15, 1913-May 6, 1944; married 1938 /Their photo is on the tombstone./ D/J. D. BELL August 2, 1912-April 14, 1984 (Masonic emblem) ELLA MAE BELL June 20, 1920-November 7, 1987 (Eastern Star emblem)

 

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HESSIE HOLMES, Aunt 1889-1980 in loving memory SANDY HALL April 17, 1905-February 17, 1996 DELLAR MAE ALLEN July 8, 1930-February 1, 1970 In loving memory JOSIE BELL 1880s-1965 In loving memory D/OTIS BELL 1910-1967 ESSIE M. BELL 1904-1978 MATHIS L. BELL PFC U.S. Army, World War II 1922-1977 JUDEAN WITHERSPOON 1918-1972 In loving memory GEORGE BELL Hay 15, 1871-January 5, 1951 At rest JOHN WEBB July 14, 1907-August 12, 1935 At rest ELIE THOMAS, Mother November 25, 1911-October 21, 1931 SAM LUTER 1864-1951 BOB, Husband of Harriett ADKINSON Born June 1853 Died December 20, 1903 CARMAN F. NANCE PFC U.S. Army, World War II November 12, 1921-August 28, 1947 TOM HARRIS Tenn. PVT 20 Engrs. Died August 11, 1923 OTHER CLAY August 2, 1884-October 11, 1912 D/J. D. PEARSON February 21, 1914- SAMMIE REE BELEW December 8, 1922-October 30, 1994 ALVINA FUQUA, no dates EDNA TAYLOR, no dates AREALIA PEARSON, no dates WILLIE ESTER PEARSON, no dates RUBY D. BELEW May 7, 1916-December 7, 1937

D/JOHN McCOLLUM April 11, 1928-October 15, 1994 IDA M. McCOLLUM February 4, 1935- /Their photo is on tombstone./ D/GEORGE LEE BELL 1903-1988 ZODIE WILLIAMS BELL 1903-1981 LUCILLE BELL WEBB July 15, 1903-September 26, 1983 Love, Faye MATTIE BELL, Our darling Mother 1873-1972 D/RUBIN BELL 1900-1969 ZELMA BELL 1912-1996 CHRISTINE BELL June 3, 1888-August 6, 1958 CHARLIE BELL April 1, 1883-March 26, 1953 OLA D. BELL March 5, 1898-January 1, 1944 ANNA L. DOUGLAS LOCKHART November 6, 1911-August 16, 1944 HATTIE TURNER 188 1-1948 JUDIE LUTER 1864-1946 ARTHUR WILLIAMSON 1870-1963 GENEVA WILLIAMSON April 28, 1908-April 24, 2000 FH marker LULA H. WILLIAMSON 1884-1937 ODDIE CLAY April 18, 1884-June 15, 1928 A voice is still. . . . 'LUE BELL Born 1858 Died October 20, 1900 D/WESTLEY BELEW 1887-1955 ALICE S. BELEW 1890-1957 A. Z. PEARSON, no dates SAM PEARSON, no dates

 

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D/WILLIAM HOLT 1875-1963 LOTTIE HOLT 1880-1931 D/DONNIE McCULLOUGH 1893-1964 ELIGIE McCULLOUGH 1883-1973 L. B. McCULLOUGH Sunrise October 20, 1914 Sunset October 13, 1996 DUBOIS McCULLOUGH January 17, 1937-December 26, 1961 MAUD HILLSMAN August 2, 1885-October 9, 1963 OATEN E. HILLSMAN July 11, 1891-February 18, 1946 In loving memory SHERMAN HILLSMAN Tenn. PVT Co. L, 809 Pioneer Inf., World War I February 28, 1895-December 20, 1964 BETTIE COLEMAN June 15, 1865-July 30, 1945 Gone but not forgotten WILLEZRA HARRIS February 8, 1884-January 18, 1945 Gone but not forgotten MARY NELL HUNT July 4, 1909-April 8, 1998 SANT HUNT 1865-1954 WAITSTELL FRAME 1915-1940 In loving memory ELIHU HUNT 1913-1930 EVA JEAN HUNT 1920-1955 LANCE FRAME, Husband 1906-1985 ELNORA FRAME, Wife 1903-1983 EBB McCULLOUGH, Father 1873-1955 At rest MAMIE HUNT April 8, 1902-February 28, 1985 MAGGIE LUCILLE COLEMAN THOMPSON July 3, 1937-May 2, 1993

JIM HANDSBER /HANSBRO/ Born 1801 Died June 10, 1887 YUMA WEBB Died May 4, 1997 Age 64 years Rawls FH marker D/ZELNER CARTER January 1, 1912-September 7, 1988 /S1 U.S. Navy, World War II/ NAOLA CARTER August 16, 1922-March 31, 1995 wed July 21, 1942 D/LANNIE G. McCULLOUGH, SR., Father February 21, 1892-March 17, 1974 CASSIE ANNER H. McCULLOUGH, Mother August 22, 1892-January 27, 1975 married December 27, 1911 MILDRED FOREMAN October 13, 1928-June 29, 1981 In loving memory by Ann & M. T. DARNELL HILLSMAN 1922-2000 Rawls FH marker ROBERTA BARDWELL, Mother 1888-1938 At rest ORA DINWIDDIE 1861-1951 OTHELL HUNT, SR. August 29, 1906-May 22, 1998 SUSE HUNT Died October 10, 1917 Age 30 years Gone but forgotten /Someone tried to superimpose "born" over "died" on this tombstone./ D/BOLIVAR HUNT Born 1860 Died September 23, 1939 NICIE HUNT Born 1867 Died January 25, 1943 Gone but not forgotten MAYO HUNT Tenn. TEC 5 Field Artillery, World War II October 3, 1924-March 30, 1947 A. G. GREER September 4, 1895-December 13, 1949 JAMES O. WILLIAMSON Tenn. Sgt. HQ Co 2 Bat GD, Korea May 3, 1933-July 2, 1958 LURLEAN BYRANT June 8, 1918-November 1, 1976 CORNELIUS E. TAYLOR August 1, 1955-August 21, 1988 Rest in peace

 

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P/ROBERT COLEMAN, Daddy January 15, 1905-October 29, 1982 RETHA M. COLEMAN, Mama February 15, 1911-September 14, 1985 D/GERMAN HALL 1891-1983 ELLA HALL 1895-1970 PETER NEWBILL 1852-1936 Age 84 Gone but not forgotten GERTRUDE HUNT February 3, 1900-May 7, 1987 ADDIE LEE COLEMAN NEWBILL Loving wife & Mother no dates DOCK WILLIAMSON Died October 25, 1918 Age 73 yrs. D/CORNELUS WILLIAMSON Born 1884 Died December 26, 1931 VIOLA WILLIAMSON born 1877 Died September 16, 1961 WILLIE MAE HILLSMAN March 2, 1900-September 16, 1938 GEORGE HUNT September 30, 1830-Oct. 20, 1908 God’s finger touched him and he slept (a fallen tombstone) GEORGE BIGHAM October 15, 1880-December 23, 1942 D/OTIS MEADOWS December 9, 1929- LA FRANCES MEADOWS November 16, 1931-December 20, 1997 FAYE BELL BIGHAM April 3, 1905-August 12, 1992 SAM ALLISON WILLIAMS Tenn. SP4 U.S. Army, Vietnam November 4, 1948-March 26, 1974 EARLINE WILLIAMS January 3, 1929- Wife of Roger MARY LEE LUTER 1905-1969 In loving memory WILLIAM REEVES , Husband 1903-January 13, 1978 "NANCE", nothing further

LETORIA RAY 1908-1972 CHARLES APRON RAY U.S . Army , Korea 1929-1994 JOHN W. HALL 1919-1966 BENNIE WILLIAMSON, Husband and Father 1905-1956 LULA ADAMS ALGEE February 27, 1897-October 6, 1969 LEAN NEWBILL October 15, 1935-November 28, 1992 In loving memory ABE NEWBILL J. D. Elder Circle No. 1350 Died June 9, 1926 (a fallen tombstone) JOHN HILLSMAN J. D. Elder Circle No. 1350 Died November 24, 1925 L. W. WILLIAMSON, JR. September 16, 1907-December 1, 1927 L. W. WILLIAMSON February 28, 1883-June 23, 1952 Rev. JOHN HILL Pastor Reedy Creek Baptist Church, June 4, 1983-July 7, 1995 /SP 4 U. S. Army, Vietnam, November 11, 1941-July 7, 1995/ ELLA BIGHAM October 3, 1886-June 4, 1952 W. C. BIGHAM, no dates DEMMIE BROWNING October 22, 1896-September 16, 1963 ODARTHA LUTER January 31, 1903-December 4, 1964 EMANUEL BIGHAM January 20, 1910-July 8, 1963 ROGER L. WILLIAMS TEC 5 U. S. Army, World War II 1924-1992 DON McCARTHY LUTER Sgt. U.S. Army June 9, 1949-January 21, 1999 JOSEPHINE BELEW REEVES November 26, 1918- "NANCE" , nothing further "NANCE" , nothing further On a sandstone: JD /only/

 

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FELBERT NANCE September 5, 1895-December 15, 1972 Not my will but thine JOHN C. "Sonny" BIGHAM July 10, 1944-October 8, 1991 CURTIS BIGHAM, Beloved Brother August 29, 1912-August 17, 1987 Rev. SAM H. BIGHAM December 4, 1917-March 31, 1999 Loving Husband & Father D/ROBERT BIGHAM, Husband September 22, 1922-March 25, 1994 EARLENE BIGHAM, Wife February 24, 1918- JIMMY R. BELL U.S. Army 1939-1993 PAUL ADAMS 1898-1945 At rest VIRGINIA M. ADAMS 1942-1988 Williams FH marker LUCIAN HURT Born April 1, 1878 Killed by train June 7, 1895 Son of Margarete Dorsey WAKE HILLSMAN Born March 3, 1831 Died March 14, 1901 Gone but not forgotten TINNIE MAY BARDWELL Born March 13, 1905 Died June 18, 1906 Of such is the kingdom of heaven DOSSIE MULLINS Born August 12, 18_0 Died February 20, 1918

JESSIE R. WILLIAMSON June 28, 1906-March 22, 1981 D/ROGER LEE BIGHAM February 7, 1929-October 25, 1997 JUSTINE OWENS BIGHAM January 2, 1937- married September 6, 1958 MATTIE O. BIGHAM, Wife April 27, 1928-July 2, 1974 JOHNNIE ADKISSON June 27, 1908-December 2, 1991 DULLIE ADKISSON May 28, 1916- WILLIAM O. ADAMS, Son August 17, 1936-October 1, 1977 LEONIA CLARK, Mother November 23, 1891-April 14, 1948 HATTIE ADAMS, Mother 1880-1953 SAM WRIGHT Born September 28, 1871 Died July 26, 1918 Age 47 yrs. FRANK, Husband of Edith LUTER Born February 1839 Died April 8, 1903 Only sleeping JANE HANDSBER /HANSBRO/ Born 1833 Died October 1914 Age 81 yrs. EMANUL CLAY Born September 12, 1888 Died September 10, 1904 ANTHONY, Husband of Martha MURPHY Born July 2, 1854 Died February 1895 ELVI HILLSMAN Born 1858 Died June 20, 1916 Age 58 yrs. Rest Mother rest

 

Reedy Creek Baptist Church

New Reedy Creek Baptist Church

 

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