GREATER MERCER MEMORIAL GARDENS

            Greater Mercer Memorial Gardens is a recent cemetery (first burial about 1970) located on Washington Street in Mercer, Tennessee. There are a few unmarked graves, 17 graves marked with concrete blocks, and six graves marked only with a temporary marker plate without information.

            David Donahue recorded this cemetery on September 14, 2003 based on earlier work by Jonathan K. T. Smith. Mr. Smith's 1995 of the cemetery appears in his Tombstone Inscriptions from Black Cemeteries in Madison County, Tennessee and a 2000 update appears in his Tombstone Inscriptions from Black Cemeteries in Madison County, Tennessee, Volume 2. These works are referred to collectively as Smith in the notes below.

 

Notes below were written as if rows ran north-south, with most markers inscribed on their west face.

Batchelor, Dave, Feb. 26, 1916-Nov. 6, 1986

Batchelor, Henry A., Nov. 7, 1888-Jan. 30, 1982 (homemade, fallen)

Batchelor, Johnny Floyd, Feb. 29, 1904-Jan. 7, 1990

Batchelor, Leon, Oct. 29, 1895-Feb. 18, 1984, military marker "Sgt US Army World War I"

Batchelor, Loreace, March 17, 1917-Nov. 8, 1980

Batchelor, Nathaniel, Sept. 3, 1945-April 17, 1985

Batchelor, Rodney Floyd, June 1, 1957-Mar. 13, 1996, military marker "US Army"

Bennett, Ethel Bell, 1900-1988
Bennett, Congress, 1896-1976, military marker as footstone "US Army World War I"; dates on military marker Jan. 15, 1896-May 20, 1976

Brooks, Bruce E., Aug. 2, 1957-Mar. 1, 1986, "Beloved daddy, son & brother"; also temporary marker, Bledsoe Funeral Home, Bruce Edward Brooks

Brooks, Bulah [see Woods, Bulah Brooks]

Brooks, Fannie Lee, June 5, 1924-Jan. 17, 1994

Brooks, Florence [see Croom, Florence C.]

Brooks, Floyd, Aug. 1, 1900-Mar. 17, 1977 [Masonic symbol]
Brooks, Lemore, Feb. 6, 1900-Nov. 3, 1987 [Eastern Star symbol]

Burton, Bertha Hill, Sept. 13, 1913-June 19, 1994 [adjacent to marker for Jim Burton]

Burton, Edna Clark, Apr 25, 1914-Oct. 8, 1999 [adjacent to marker for Johnny L. (Jake) Burton]

Burton, Jim, June 15, 1910-Apr. 8, 1978, "Husband" footstone

Burton, Johnny L. (Jake), Apr. 11, 1910-Oct. 24, 1988

Carroll, Jimmy D., Feb. 12, 1962-Dec. 16, 1992, "Beloved brother"

Chatman, Sadie B., Dec. 5, 1909-Sept. 13, 1987

Clark, Edna [see Burton, Edna Clark]

Cole, Lettie Mae, June 15, 1947-Apr. 9, 2003, "Mother"

Croom, Florence C., Aug. 25, 1962-July 11, 1993, "Wife,, daughter sister always" [as read in 1995 by Smith from a temporary marker, Bledsoe Funeral Home: Mrs. Florence Brooks Croom]

Day, Buford Leon, Sr., Feb. 11, 1944-May 1, 2000, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, 3 feet north of marker for Maggie Nell Day

Day, James Otha, d. Mar. 12, 2001, temporary marker, Mercer Brothers, 5 feet, 2 graves south of marker for Maggie Nell Day

Day, Maggie Nell, Jan. 30, 1925-Mar. 4, 1997

Forrest, Andre Lamont, Feb. 15, 1974-Jan. 15, 1982

Forrest, Nancy J., Aug. 11, 1911-Oct. 22, 1983
Forrest, Corinth, Mar. 1, 1908-____

Fuller, Allie B., May 9, 1942-May 5, 1992, military marker "SP4 US Marine Corps Vietnam"

Fuller, Essie, Dec. 25, 1902-Nov. 9, 1971, "Father"

Fuller, Isaac, Sr., Feb. 4, 1904-Mar. 5, 1990

Fuller, J. W., 1913-1981, military marker "US Army"

Fuller, Jano, d. Mar. 16, 1987 (disintegrating homemade marker)

Fuller, Pauline, d. July 28, 1986, temporary marker, Mercer Brothers, 5 feet north of marker for Joe Earl James

Fuller, Premer Pirtle, Feb. 22, 1906-May 19, 1991

Fuller, Tillman Eddie, Aug. 9, 1914-Dec. 15, 1993, temporary marker, Bledsoe Funeral Home [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 1995]

Fuller, Willie Lou. July 7, 1937-Dec. 29, 2002, "Mother"
Fuller, James Wm., Sr., Jan. 2, 1933-Dec. 21, 2000, "Father"

Graves, Eliza, 1888-1972

Graves, Ned, Jr., Apr. 6, 1894-Jan. 4, 1980, military marker "Pvt US Army World War I"

Hill, Bertha [see Burton, Bertha Hill]

Hill, Brandon Antwon, Aug. 18, 1985-Feb. 4, 2001

Hill, Charles William, Mar. 12, 1925-Apr. 23, 1991, "Beloved father"

Hill, Gilbert L., June 29, 1945-Apr. 18, 1973, "Father"

Hill, Herbert, Jr., Nov. 11, 1929-April 28, 1998, military marker "US Marine Corps"

Hill, Hester [see Pipkin, Hester Hill]

Hill, Lelar S., Aug. 29, 1890-July 1, 1981
Hill, Hazel, Aug. 8, 1892-Jan. 26, 1974

Hill, Mosie Mae, June 26, 1923-Mar. 17, 1999
Hill, Charlie, Jr., Aug. 23, 1918-Mar. 3, 2002, carved rings and "Jun. 9, 1939"

Hopgood, Emma Bell [see James, Emma Bell Hopgood]

James, Emma Bell Hopgood, May 30, 1905-Nov. 1, 1986

James, Joe, Dec. 11, 1938-Aug. 17, 1991

James, Justine L., May 25, 1922-Mar. 17, 1996
James, Willie M., Aug. 16, 1917-____

James, Maude Ella [see Whitford, Maude Ella]

James, Otha Sun, Mr., d. Apr. 7, 2000, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, 4 feet south of marker for Emma Bell Hopgood James

James, Ruby M., May 16, 1933-Nov. 2, 1974

James, Shirley Virginia, Mrs., d. Aug. 24, 1994 Aged 39 Years, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw Funeral Home, 4 feet south of marker for Rosie Mae Weddle

James, Velmor Thomas, May 30, 1945-May 7, 1986, "Husband & daddy"

Kelly, Thomas Ray, Jr., June 6, 1988-June 6, 1988, "stillborn," temporary marker, Bledsoe Funeral Home [out-of-place; found on grave on Bruce E. Brooks in 2003]

Macklin, Thomas, Nov. 10, 1932-Nov. 1, 1984, "Husband of Nettie B." (disintegrating homemade marker)

Mann, Lucille Trigg, Feb. 4, 1929-July 3, 1985

Manning, Jacqueline Theus Witherspoon, Aug. 22, 1964-Feb. 3, 1998

Merriwether, Albert, Oct. 19, 1926-June 30, 1995, military marker "PFC US Army"

Merriwether, Albert Jerry, June 12, 1907-Nov. 4, 1981, "Husband"

Merriwether, Burton, July 18, 1936-Nov. 3, 1994

Merriwether, Clyde, Mar. 29, 1911-Oct. 22, 1979, "Born in Madison Co."

Merriwether, Curtis, Nov. 15, 1909-Dec. 29, 1993, "Beloved mother and grandmother" [adjacent to marker for Albert Jerry Merriwether]

Merriwether, Fred, Apr. 22, 1940-Dec. 12, 1980

Merriwether, Mollie Alice, Aug. 28, 1911-Nov. 15, 1984

Merriwether, Otha, Oct. 25, 1903-Apr. 3, 1978, Born in Madison Co.

Merriwether, Rogers, Mr., d. Aug. 8, 1993, Age 78, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw Fun. Home [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 1995]

Norment, Emma Jean, Aug. 17, 1936-Feb. 9, 1990

Overton, Louis, d. Apr. 16, 1985, Age 80, temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw Funeral Home [not found in 2003; reported by Smith in 1995]

Piinnessee, Cornelia M., Jan. 27, 1904-Nov. 20, 1982
Phinnessee, Lucius, Mar. 4, 1904-____

Pipkin, Hester Hill, June 28, 1890-Dec. 10, 1971

Pirtle, Premer [see Fuller, Premen Pirtle]

Seaberg, Zenobia, 1934-____
Seaberg, David R., 1920-1993, also temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw Funeral Home, d. Sept. 7, 1993
"Married Aug. 25, 1976"

Snipes, Odell, d. Aug. 18, 1998, temporary marker, mercer Brothers, 4 feet south of double marker for Floyd and Lemore Brooks

Springfield, Emma Lee, July 24, 1932-June 3, 1983

Stokes, Jewell O., Oct. 16, 1963-Nov. 12, 1988, "Beloved husband, son, brother"

Tatum, Nancy, July 13, 1913-Aug. 27, 1992

Tatum, Willie R., Oct. 31, 1914-May 16, 1972

Theues, Stanley, June 13, 1961-Aug. 24, 2000 [last name as on marker]

Theus, Hosandy, 1960-1989, military marker "Sgt US Air Force" (military marker is mounted on a disintegrating homemade marker)

Theus, Jacqueline [see Manning, Jacqueline Theus Witherspoon]

Theus, L. E. Theus, Jan. 29, 1934-Jan. 24, 1981, "Rev."
Theus, Dorothy A., Sept . 17, 1934-____

Theus, Lonell, Sr., Apr. 1=6, 1935-Sept. 30, 1993 [Masonic symbol]

Theus, Patsy, 1905-1993
Theus, Lee Andy, 1906-____

Trigg, Annie L., Dec. 4, 1910-Dec. 5, 1982 [adjacent to marker for Duncan Trigg]

Trigg, Duncan, Dec. 12, 1905-Nov. 13, 1992

Trigg, Lucille [see Mann, Lucille Trigg]

Weddle, Henry, June 8, 1906-Aug. 28, 1999
Weddle, Eula A., Nov. 20, 1908-Apr. 27, 1999, carved rings and "Dec. 25, 1927"

Weddle, Rosie Mae, Aug. 4, 1927-Sept. 16, 1994, "Our loving mother"

Whitford, Maude Ella James, June 3, 1914-Dec. 7, 1988

Wilkes, William McKinley, Sept. 5, 1900-July 28, 1974, "Daddy"

Williamson, Charlie Holsey, Dec. 13, 1929-Oct. 11, 1983, military marker "Korea-Vietnam" (sunken) [marker so far into ground that only name is readable in 2003; other information as reported by Smith in 1995]

Williamson, Robert L. C., Oct. 6, 1933-Aug. 22, 1997, military marker "SP3 US Army"

Wills, Pauline W., Sept. 29, 1911-Aug. 19, 1973

Witherspoon, Jacqueline [see Manning, Jacqueline Theus Witherspoon]

Woods, Bulah Brooks, 1925-1989

Woods, Joe Wifford, Apr. 1908-Feb. 18, 1997, Aged 88 Years, temporary marker, 4 feet north of marker for Bulah Brooks Woods