I recently attended a Homecoming at Bethany Baptist Church, where several lines and generations of my family worshiped over the decades on Jones Cove Road in Sevier County, TN. Afterwards, I went with my cousins Guy Merritt and George Brooks and his wife Gail, along with new friend Angelia Hurst from Texas, to find some old cemeteries where our kin are buried. As shown in the photo of my daughter, I had been to the Russell Hurst Cemetery (also called the George Webb Cemetery) on Russell Hollow Road back in the early 1990s, when I had visited my grandmother Josie Caldonia (Oakley) Loveday's half sister, Aunt Esta (Whitted) Breeden.
Aunt Esta had told me how her daddy, Jim Whitted (my grandmother's stepfather) had carved his aunt's and uncle's stones, even though he couldn't read or write. His wife, my great grandmother Sarah (Webb Oakley), had shown him what to carve. My grandmother's stepfather AND her husband Jesse James Loveday were both descendants of the Hursts who came to Sevier County from the Shenandoah Valley.
On the day of the recent Homecoming, the little lane that led to the cemetery was overgrown and had become an obstacle course of weeds, briers, brush, vines, and fallen dead pines. However, despite the heat and physical challenges, we made it, allowing Angelia (pictured in black above) to find the elusive graves of her husband's ancestors, G.W. and Catherine Hurst!
8 comments:
I was also priviledged to attend the Bethany Homecoming and visit the George Webb cemetery along with Jan, Guy, George and Gail. It was quite an experience and the fulfillment of my late husbands wish to locate and visit the graves of his gg-grandparents George Washington Hurst and Catherine (Kate) Breeden Hurst. He and I visited Sevier County in 2006 and searched without success for their grave site. Unbeknownst to us we were within 500 yards of the cemetery. I want to again thank you Jan for leading me there. Even though my husband Jerry did not live to visit there , I believe he knows I went there for him and he is pleased. Thank you Jan, Guy, George and Gail for giving me a special day.
We also visited the graves of Sevier Hurst and his daughter who had been buried beside their house during the Civil War because of fear of Confederate soldiers in the area. This grave site had long been lost and was located recently by George.
Thanks, Angie, for the comment! In fact, the Sevier Hurst grave post is scheduled to appear next! (I do several at a time and let them appear over several days.)
I just came across your blog and I think it's really cool. I've been thinking of starting a blog too and yours has inspired me to go ahead and do it.
I've been researching my Sevier County roots for about 15 years. We last visited the Jones Cove area in September 2010 to look for Cook and Breeden graves.
I found your information on the old cemeteries very interesting. Your experience going back to into the old cemeteries and finding the old graves give me hope that one day I may too be able track down graves that I hope to locate and document.
While visiting Jones Cove in 2010 I did find a couple of the graves that I was looking for. Matthew Breeden son of Bryant Breeden & Ausborn Ball (Brother-in law) at Thomas Cemetery Wilhite Creek, Jones Cove, Sevier County, Tennessee. I had hoped to locate my Great-Great-grandmother Amanda Breeden-Inman-Cook-Smith and parents her Bryant Breeden & Mary Panther-Webb-Breeden. I did not find them, but hope that the graves may be still there in a forgotten and hidden cemetery back in the mountains. I have located other forgotten graves off the beaten path at Copeland Creek where I had hike in and found a little cemetery with just a few graves but still with readable stones craved with orientation.
I found your blog because I had searched for Bethany Church information. It;s my understanding that Bryany & Matthew Breeden were both Pastors at Bethany Church and that pictures of them exist in connection to the church.
One photo on your blog that caught my attention right away. It is the one of Dalton Loveday with his sister Dicie & girlfriend Queenie Williams. I have a 2nd cousin Linda Sue Cook-Floyd whose grandmother was Qweenie Williams-Cook wife of Charles Pierce Cook.
I'll be following your blog and start mine blog sometime soon. Jim Cook
I probably have some records on Matthew Breeden you'd like to read!
Yes I'm sure that I would be interested in anything on Matthew Breeden. I hope your 2011 Thanksgiving went well. Thanks for your great blog, Jim Cook
Janni, I came across the following story regarding grave sites of Bryant & Mary Breeden by Rebecca Randall Thur, 2 Dec 1999 and the story reminded me of your stories and the pictures on your blog.
"Great Grandma Webb told us that Mary Ann Panther (Webb-Breeden), her grandmother, was raised by a Webb family; I remember the story as a child. She said she lived near them, Bryant and Mary, and listed all of those siblings, including her mother, Elizabeth Breeden, on a piece of paper. When Grandma Webb, and her three daughters went home to Sevier, they visited all the relatives--Balls and Breedens. Grandma Webb used to talk about the Stinnetts and McMahans also. Apparently Ausbon Ball had a mill on his land or shared it with Bryant---that mill pond was the setting of one of Grandma Webb's favorite childhood stories, about catching a huge catfish in the mill pond. Mother thinks that she saw Bryant and Mary's grave (on the old place) when she visited. A Ball (Robert) cousin took her to the site, and Mother had to crawl under bushes and weeds to find it. She didn't take a picture, but I'm trying to ply her memory on where she was exactly---she thinks she could drive to the area, and then walk to the site. This cousin also showed Mom and Dad his private ginseng patch on the same trip!
I have been in contact with Sam Maner and Velma Knight. Velma's mother is Lillie Mae Ball Maner, my Mary Ellen Ball Webb's sis. They are all still in Tennessee. Velma and my grandmother, Sada Belle were quite close and wrote to each other on a regular basis. Lillie's husband, Julius Maner, came here for a visit, years ago. All these folks are in their 80's (I'm not sure about Sam), and I wish I could just hop on a plane, and go give them a big hug. Maybe this summer! Rebecca "Rebecca Randall" Thu, 2 Dec 1999"
James, please respond to the email I sent you if you received it. I'll then send you some Breeden and Ball info. If you haven't received an email, please post so here. Thanks!
Jan, I was so pleased to see the post concerning the grave sites of Bryant Breeden and Mary Ann Panther Webb! I just assumed they were lost forever. It meant so much to me to find the graves of their daughter Catherine and her husband George W. Hurst and I have you, Guy, George and Gail to thank for that. If you find any more info on the Bryant/Mary Ann grave-sites please let me know.
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