Decoration Days in Montgomery County Arkansas
Mongtomery County Genealogical Resources
Eight cemeteries are located in the Oden community. The oldest, Oak Hill, is not maintained as it is surrounded by Doyle
Godbehere's farm. Cows mow the grass and knock down the markers. Some graves there predate
the Civil War era. But a certain Sunday is designated as "Decoration Day" for
the seven maintained cemeteries. In earlier days, the 20's, 30's, 40,s and on into the 50's, special
programs were planned by Sunday School classes during the morning worship hour. Then the
graves were decorated followed by "dinner on the ground." The sound of
gospel-singing filled the air in the afternoon. Dinner was literally spread on the ground in the early days, then long
church benches were used. Now some churches have built permanent scaffolds for that
purpose. Boards are used for tables. People also bring their own folding tables.
The first decoration Day is the first Sunday in May at the Brushy Cemetery, the oldest maintained cemetery in the region.
The second Sunday is Decoration Day at Pine Ridge, home of Dick Huddleston's
"Jot-em-Down" store, made famous by the radio characters Lum & Abner.
In fact, Dick Huddleston was one of the promoters for establishing the decorations.
It was good business and Dick was a good business man. Much merchandise was sold
for the event. Dick's store still stands. It holds relics used by Lum &
Abner. Dick and his wife are buried in the Pine Ridge Cemetery.
The third Sunday is Decoration day at Oden. During the conception
of the stated days Ike Chapman, Jack Plemmons and Sam Hickey operated general merchandise
stores in Oden. Their sales increased as each Decoration Day was a big social event.
Relatives and friends dressed up in new frocks and reminisced. Jack and Sam are
buried with their wives in the Oden Cemetery. The vacant space beside Ike's grave was for
his wife, she lived her last years with her daughters in Tennessee and they buried her
there.
The fourth Sunday in May is Decoration Day at the Lone Valley Cemetery near Sims. Isom Gibbs had a general store there. It was a boon for his business too. The
drummers (traveling salesmen) were happy for their sales increase.
When May has five Sundays the fifth Sunday is Decoration Day at Barber Cemetery near Sims.
It is less elaborate as the cemetery is smaller and there is no church house.
The first Sunday in June is Decoration Day at the Macedonia Cemetery. The program is less
formal there also. There has not been a church house since the early 1920's when it
burned.
The second in June is the seventh and final Decoration Day in the Oden Community at Grenade Cemetery. The first Grenade church house stood near the
cemetery. It also served as a school house in the 1800's. Several years later,
probably mid 1900's a new church was built in a different location.
All the cemeteries are surrounded by fences. In the early days graves were dug by
citizens in the community and the coffins were also built by the neighbors. Adult
coffins were covered with black cloth. The children's were covered with gray.
Both were lined and trimmed with lace. neighbors also "sat up" with the
corpse, in the home of the deceased. If possible burial was the next day after
death, since there was no embalming. Grave sites are not sold in any of the cemeteries.
They are free to anyone wishing to bury their dead. Most of the cemeteries
have caretakers, but in the early days each family tended their own graves. Often a
certain day would be set for graveyard cleaning, before Decoration Day.
Artificial flowers were not sold in the stores. Families gathered wild flowers from the
pasture and fields and the flowers were kept in a tub or bucket of water by the well so
they would be ready for the trek to the cemetery on Sunday. Loved ones are not
forgotten.
Reference: Montgomery County News 20 March, 1997, article above written by Lois Kelly Mickey "Decoration Days Set".
At Brushy recently there are at least one hundred people, all ages, at Decoration. People came and went all day but the main crowd came in the morning. The majority of the people are local, but several are from other states or now living elsewhere in Arkansas. There was singing in the church and some taking pictures of those there visiting, and of the headstones. Families planned to eat together there, but invitations were are out to anyone that would like to join them. Other cemeteries in the area have Decorations in May and June with Gaston begin the last for the year on the 1st Sunday in August. For a complete list of Decoration Days refer to page 1151 Montgomery County: Our Heritage Vol. 2. and in the Home Extension Services Cemetery Inscriptions of Montgomery County, Arkansas (1986). Lookups.
| 1st Saturday May Big Fir 1st Sunday May 4th Monday May |
2nd Sunday May Cogburn Fanny Hill Hopper Joplin Mount Gilead Mount Ida Mountain Home Pine Ridge Rocky West Washita |
3rd Sunday May Oden Cemetery Mount Tabor Howton Owley Sulphur Springs Reed 4th Sunday May Barber Black Springs Breashears Lone Valley Oakwood |
| 1st Sunday June Cox and Head (Caddo) Macedonia Mount Olive Nelson |
2nd Saturday June Gortemiller 2nd Sunday June Grenade Oak Grove |
3rd Sunday June Liberty 1st Sunday August |
Reunion time at Pine Ridge occurs annually every "Mother's Day" in May now Decoration Day. It was also called Children's Day and children would put on a program at the community church of songs and marching. The graves were then decorated and after "dinner on the ground" it was time for singing.
Montgomery County ArkansasGenWeb Project
Otago Witness, 5 September 1874,
Page 21
DECORATION.
Mid the flower-wreath'd tombs I stand
Bearing lilies in my hand.
Comrades ! in what soldier-grave
Sleeps the bravest of the brave?
Is it he who sank to rest
With his colours round his breast ?
Friendship makes his tomb a shrine ;
Garlands veil it ; ask not mine.
One low grave, yon trees beneath,
Bears no roses, wears no wreath ;
Yet no heart more high and warm
Ever dared the battle-storm.
Never gleamed a prouder eye
In the front of victory,
Never foot had firmer tread
On the field where hope lay dead,
Than are hid within this tomb,
Where the untended grasses bloom ;
And no stone, with feign'd distress,
Mocks the .sacred loneliness.
Youth and beauty, dauntless will,
Dreams that life could ne'er fulfil.
Here lie buried ; here in peace
Wrongs and woes have found release.
Turning from my comrades' eyes,
Kneeling where a woman lies,
I strew lilies on the grave
Of the bravest of the brave.
Newport, R.I., Decoration Day, 1873.
Cars everywhere and all the families gathered. It was like a huge multi family reunion, a celebration and preaching. Families came to decorate the graves. Some flowers were made from crêpe paper, or pink, blue or white tissue paper, that took weeks to make and dipped in melted (wax) paraffin, that helped them resist the weather. Others arrived with fresh bouquet’s from their yards , and others with coffee cans or bottles wrapped in the crepe paper with attached bows filled with heirloom roses and peonies filling the air with fragrance. At noon the crowd would gather at the long tables that were set up on the church yard and each lady with her cardboard box filled with some of the finest home cooked dishes. After the tables were cleared and the food put away, they’d head to the church for some of the greatest singing you’ve ever heard, strong voices joining together and singing the old gospel songs so loud and clear, e.g. That Glad Reunion Day. The cemeteries were beautiful, and full of people dressed up in new outfits or their their Sunday best, talking.
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