UNION CEMETERY

            Union Cemetery is the major black cemetery in the southern part of Decatur County. It is shown on the U.S.G.S. Bath Springs quadrangle (1972) as Union Church, west of state highway 69 and about a half mile north of Tucker's Store. Union Cemetery is one of the largest cemeteries in Decatur County. The cemetery is on the site of Union Church. The church stood east of the original cemetery, probably north of the present parking area near the recent Brasher family burials. Existing carved markers lie along the west, north, and eastern edges of the cemetery. In the center of the cemetery are cedar stumps and fieldstone-marked graves. Hundreds of depressions suggests that the area from the eastern-most fieldstone to the western edge of the cemetery, and from the fence of the north to the access drive to the south, is completely full of burials. From one of the markers near the northwest corner it is possible to count 17 grave shaft depressions in a single row while walking but half way up the rise to the first fieldstone. There may be 300-400 unmarked graves at this cemetery. David Donahue recorded this cemetery December 27, 1996, and checked and updated March 19, 2003.

            Blanche Tuten and Margarett Alexander recorded Union Cemetery on July 30, 1976. Their record appears in Decatur County, Tennessee Cemetery Records published by the Captain Daniel A. Wesson Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Parsons, Tennessee, 1984, pp. 598-599. They noted "at least 33 unmarked graves and possibly many more." The "33" is probably the number of fieldstone-marked graves. The work by Tuten and Alexander is referred to as the UDC transcription in notes below.

 

Akins, Mary M., Mar. 23, 1914-May 18, 1914, "Dau. of Mary M. & Will Akins" (fallen)

Akins, Mary M., July 16, 1890-Apr. 2, 1914, "Wife of Will Akins" (fallen)

Boggan, Leora E., Oct. 1, 1899-May 18, 1925, "Wife of Abe Boggan"

Brasher, Alberta A. Shannon, Feb. 12, 1912-July 9, 1990 [adjacent to marker for Barley Brasher]

Brasher, Babe A., Apr. 12, 1912-Nov. 27, 1998, "Father"
Brasher, Essie Mae, Sept. 21, 1914-May 3, 1995, "Mother"

Brasher, Barley, Mar. 10, 1896-Mar. 7, 1968

Brasher, Clarence Ray, Feb. 16, 1944-Dec. 23, 1995, "Dad""

Brasher, Coulas, 1920-2000

Brasher, George Ike, May 29, 1905-June 18, 1995, "Father" footstone

Brasher, LaMyron Vychelle, Mar. 3, 1967-Mar. 3, 1967

Bugg, Decie, d. Jan. 3, 1974, "Age 85 years" [not found in 1996 or 2003; from UDC transcription, probably read from a temporary marker]

Bugg, J. B., 1870-Apr. 20, 1958 (homemade, dates difficult to read) [along western fence; marker style looks much older that 1958 death date would suggest]

Casey, Elsie, Jr., Mar. 26, 1927-May 23, 1949

Casey, George W., Dec. 21, 1925-Nov. 18, 1948

Kindle, Allen, Dec. 25, 1887-Apr. 19, 1970

Kindle, Joanna, July 28, 1888-Aug. 8, 1960

McDonnell, Mary H. N., d. Oct. 19, 1896, "Aged 1 m 19 d" "Dau of Wiley and Mary McDonnel" (eroded) [death year from UDC transcription]

McDonnell, Mary, d. Sept. 5, 1896, "Age 20 y 4 m 29 d" "Wife of Wiley McDonnel" (fallen)

McElrath, Alfred, d. Aug. 20, 1969, "Aged 56 Years 4 Months 5 Days," temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, 3 yards northeast of marker for LaMyron Vychelle Brasher

Moody, Louis G., Dec. 8, 1912-Dec. 23, 1989\Moody, Annie M., June 15, 1917-July 8, 1999

Russell, Elizabeth, 1911-1985, temporary marker, 1 yard north of temporary marker for Oscar A. Russell, approximately 5.5 yards east-northeast of marker for Willie Dee Brasherberta E. Shannon Brasher

Russell, Oscar A., 1892-1986, temporary marker, Parham, approximately 5 yards east of marker for Eillie Dee Moody

Shannon, Alberta A. [see Brasher, Alberta A. Shannon]

Stegall, LeVaner, d. Aug. 6, 1987, "Age 77," temporary marker, S. B. Moore Funeral Home, 4 yards west of double marker for Louis G. and Annie M. Moody

Thomas, Jewel, 1910-1999, "Mrs."; temporary marker, Brewer Funeral Home, 8-9 yards east of marker for George Ike Brasher

Walker, Lona, 1901-1988, temporary marker, Parham Mortuary, 7 yards east of marker for Alberta E. Shannon Brasher

Yarbro, Dafner, d. Oct. 8, 1898, "Age 85 years" "Wife of T. Yarbro"

Yarbrough, Willie, Dec. 8, 1878-Dec. 3, 1896

 

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