SEATS CHAPEL CEMETERY
Seats Chapel Cemetery is located behind the church on Pearson Road, a few hundred yards north of the intersection with Rue Hamner Road. The cemetery is maintained. There are maybe 2 dozen unidentified graves. David Donahue recorded this cemetery in December 2001 and updated it October 14, 2003
This cemetery has been recorded three times previously. Bobbie Pierce and Brenda Fiddler recorded the cemetery circa 1976. Their record appears in Henderson County, Tennessee Cemetery Inscriptions (Memphis, R. H. Harris, 1976), Vol. I, p. 107. This earlier work is referred to as "Pierce and Fiddler" in the notes below.
Jonathan K. T. Smith recorded this cemetery circa 1995 as part of his county-wide survey of black cemeteries. His record appears in Tombstone Inscriptions from Black Cemeteries in Henderson County, Tennessee (1995). This is referred to as "Smith" in the notes.
Joy Beth Campbell did a 1998 update based on Jonathan K. T. Smith's survey. Her work updated entries are appended to the Smith web page.
Bardwell, Daisy Mae, 1912-1988, temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, 12 feet north of marker for Viola Buckley
Bardwell, Dennis A., 1913-1996, temporary marker, 5 feet north of marker for Viola Buckley
Buckley, Andie Lee, July 9, 1922-July 31, 2000
Buckley, Gracie Lee, Feb. 1, 1926-Sept. 19, 2002, "Wed Nov. 15, 1947" "Our children Margaret, Glen, Ilean, Evelyn, Marcella, Wayne and James"Buckley, Glen Alvin, Feb. 27, 1951-Mar. 25, 1971, military marker as footstone "Tennessee Pvt 4 US Army Vietnam"
Buckley, Green, 1898-1959
Buckley, May Frances, Feb. 5, 1936-Feb. 27, 1994
Buckley, Viola, 1900-Feb./1972, "Great Aunt" footstone
Chappel, Butler, no dates
Chappel, Larciny, no dates
Chappel, Loraine, d. Feb. 27, 1991, "Aged 38 years 6 mo 27 days" [not found in 2001; temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, reported by Smith]
Chapple, Ella, 1957
Chapple, Flossie, Dec. 6, 1904-Aug. 16, 1999, "Mother"
Chapple, Erner, June 11, 1900-June 15, 1956Clemmons, P. McGill, no dates
Douglas, Benjamin Harrison, d. Jan. 13, 1973, "Aged 86 years 3 mo 24 days" [not found in 2001; temporary marker reported by Smith]
Douglas, D. I., no dates
Douglas, Jurleen Virginia [see McGill, Jurleen Virginia Lee Douglas]
Douglas, Mary, July 3, 1900-Feb. 16, 1974
Douglas, Pomp R., Dec. 25, 1896-Oct. 8, 1968Douglas, Virginia, Apr. 20, 1924-____
Douglas, Edward, June 9, 1919-Nov. 29, 1990, military marker as footstone "PFC US Army World War II"; "Married 1946"Douglas, William H., July 27, 1924-Feb. 21, 1995, military marker "PFC US Army World War II"
Douglass, R.
Flakes, Arzo, 1938-1969, old temporary marker d. May 4, 1969, "Aged 31 Years 6 Months 12 Days"
Flakes, Carl, 1992 [not found in 2001; reported by Smith]
Frame, Lillian R., no dates
Hart, Elexzine, Jan. 6, 1921-July 1, 1952
Hart, Infant [not found in 1995 or 2001; reported by Pierce and Fiddler]
Hughes, Mamie, Sept. 15, 1890-Sept. 20, 1968
Kirby, Cecil, Sept. 5, 1902-Aug. 28, 1990, "Brother" footstone
Kirby, Tillman, 1858-1948
McGill, Jurleen Virginia Lee Douglas, Feb. 12, 1918-____
Nesbitt, Vernell, May 10, 1928-Sept. 14, 2001
Nesby, A. G., June 5, 1918-Aug. 10, 1954, military marker as footstone "PFC 698 Engr World War I"
Nesby, Valentine, Mar. 8, 1917-____Nesby, Ray, Aug. 5, 1950-Feb. 5, 1977, military marker "US Navy Vietnam"
Parker, Larry Joe, June 25, 1950-Jan. 25, 1991, temporary marker, not original, approx. 16 feet north of marker for Viola Buckley
Pearson, L. E., no dates [Larry Pearson reported by Pierce and Fiddler?]
Pearson, Larry [not found in 1995 or 2001; reported by Pierce and Fiddler]
Pearson, R., d. Feb. 11, 1980, "11 mo. 14 days" [not found in 2001; reported by Smith]
Pearson, W. G., no dates [as reported by Pierce and Fiddler: Walter Gene Pearson, d. Mar. 18, 1974, "Aged 18 yrs. 8 mos. 26 das."]
Seats, Carl Ernest, 1919-1946
Seats, Ernest, 1898-1975, "Father" footstone, also temporary marker, d. May 3, 1975, "Aged 77 Yrs.1 Mos. 10 Days"
Seats, Rebecca, 1901-1957, "Mother" footstoneSeats, Infant, d. Aug. 1, 1983, "Aged 0 Years 0 Months 0 Days," temporary marker, 1 yard north of double marker for Martha Lee and Calvin Leon Seats
Seats, Lue W., Feb. 19, 1923-____, unplaced "Dad" footstone
Seats, Elizabeth, Nov. 1, 1923-June 27, 1986, "Mama" footstone, "Married Aug. 22, 1942"Seats, Martha Lee, 1933-1978, "Mother" footstone
Seats, Calvin Leon, 1928-____, unplaced "Father" footstoneSeats, Mellie, 1890-1974, temporary marker, not original, 2 feet north of marker for Viola Buckley
Simmons, Anthony, 1986, "6 mo." temporary marker, parham Mortuary, 3 yards west northwest of double marker for A. G. & Valentine Nesby
Simmons, David Louis, 1945-1966, temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, 5 yards south of Cecil Kirby
Strayhorn, B. J., no dates
Strayhorn, P. W., no dates [from temporary marker reported by Smith: Phillip Wayne Strayhorn 1963-1989]
Strayhorn, W., no dates, also temporary marker Willie Thomas Strayhorn, 1944-1994
Talley, Christopher D. Fisher, 1984-1997, temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, 4 feet north of marker for Cecil Kirby
Thomas, Alvin, 1936-1978 [nor found in 2001; temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, reported by Smith]
Thomas, Willie, d. Oct. 3, 1971, "Aged 85 years 5 mo. 28 days" [not found in 2001; reported by Smith as read from a Parham Mortuary temporary marker]
White, Lizzie, June/1961-June/1956, "Great Grandmother" footstone [replacement]
White, Lola Mae, 1919-____, "Wife" footstone [she had been buried by Dec. 4, 2001, and recently at that]
White, Carl Mack, 1913-1993, "Husband" footstoneWilliams, Adell, 1921-____
Williams, Elry, 1921-1976Williams, Charlie A., 1895-1980, "Daddy" footstone
Williams, Vallie R., 1908-____ [she is buried]Williams, Emma, 1897-1958, "Mother"
Williams, Emmer, 1952, temporary marker 2 yards south of double marker for A. G. and Valentine Nesby
Williams, Erin, Feb. 3, 1893-Aug. 25, 1962
Williams, Estes, Aug. 12, 1884-June 18, 1962
Williams, Hobert R., Jan. 27, 1944-Aug. 10, 1972
Williams, Ivory, Jan. 28, 1926-Sept. 20, 2001, military marker "US Navy"
Williams, Leon, no dates
Williams, Patrick, no dates
Williams, Ricky, no dates
Williams, Rubin, 1848, temporary marker 4 yards south of double marker for A. G. and Valentine Nesby
Williams, Virda Mae, Nov. 14, 1921-June 8, 2003, temporary marker, 4 feet north of military marker for Ivory Williams
Williams, W. W., no dates, also temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, "Mr. Warnie Williams," d. Apr. 21, 1972, "Aged 68 Yrs. 6 Mos. 28 Days"
Williams, Wilson, Aug. 15, 1887-May 16, 1954, military marker "Tennessee Pvt 804 Pioneer Inf. World war I" [dates buried; those listed are from Smith]
One of the more interesting things about this cemetery is the placement of small, name-only markers on a number of graves which previously lacked permanent markers. The markers are smaller than most used to mark graves and are closer in size to those often used in some cemeteries for space holders. Almost an entire row of graves in the center of the cemetery has these small markers. Given the likelihood that the small markers might become overgrown or buried, this row is listed from south to north:
J Clemmons
P. McGill Clemmons
W. Strayhorn
Lilliam R. Frame
D. I. Douglas
B. J. Strayhorn
Patrick Williams
Leon Williams
Ricky Williams
grave with no marker
Butler Chappel
Larciny Chappel
grave with no marker
R. Douglas
P. W. StrayhornThese small markers are placed elsewhere as well, not just in the one row. Other markers listed in the alphabetized list with name but no dates are more of these small markers.