Macedonia Cemetery, Montgomery County, Arkansas

Phot taken by Olwyn, Dec. 1999.

Located two miles northwest of Pencil Bluff. Take Hwy 88 heading toward Sims. The cemetery is located on the left side of the road just before the turn off into the Muddy Creek Recreational Area and the fishing pond  Decoration Day for this peaceful shady well maintained cemetery is the 1st Sunday in June. The oldest marked headstone is 1894. There was a Methodist church here until 1930 when it burned and was never replace. Approximately fifty graves unmarked or marked with field stones or unlabeled crosses. Three CSA veterans buried here. 127 headstones transcribed  24 Dec. 1999 by Olwyn from actual cemetery.   Transcription commenced in right hand corner as you enter. Additional names and information appears in the two cemetery books. Update: On Find a Grave photos have been added for 145 interments as of Dec. 2009 Gateway

And be led by the crystal still waters
To the home in the sweet by and by.

Evans	Joseph Ed	Aug 1 1903 - May 16 1972	His memory is blessed
Evans	Lola Whisenhunt	March 3 1907 _____		m. July 4 1926
Evans	Little Mellie	July 17 1909 - July 17 1910 	dau of G.M. & S.S. Evans
Evans	Mary E.		Jan 23 1840 - Dec 5 1919
Evans	M.M.		Nov 18 1881- Jan 15 1920
Evans	R.M.		Feb  5 1833 - Oct 20 1920 	Co. F. Mains's Texas Regt. CSA
Evans	Margurette	Aug 10 1860 - April 20 1846 	At rest 
Kinne	Liza		Sep 18 1820 - Feb 1905
Evans	Julie		1893-1878
Evans	Miles		1891-1941			At rest in Jesus
McFarland Tamar A.	Mar  8 1843 - Feb 15 1919	wife of George McFarland
							I am the resurrection and the life
Singleton Robert Lee	Dec  5 1959 - Nov 14 1993	In loving memory. Thornton Funeral Home
Bonner	Levi		Apr 10 1853 - May 8 1935
Thompson John V.	1898 - 1967			Oct 11 1967 69 years
Tucker	Ora		1878 - 1951
Evans	S. Salona	1879 - 1963
Evans	J. Mitchell	1884 - 1963			In loving memory. 
Evans	Darrell Lee	1913-1998			Billingsley Funeral Home
unreadable

2nd Row
Cailion	B.		1888 - 1956
Cailion	Annie		1884 -  19
Kimes  	A.D,		April 1966	age 77		Archie 	Kelly Funeral Home, Mt. Ida
Fikes	Charles Arthur	11-20-1926 10-1-1990 age 63	SK3 U.S. Navy W.W.II Thornton Funeral Service

Clark   Ada Nell	Jan. 27 1906 - Oct. 13 2006
Kelly	Cleveland Earl	Sep 10 1942 age 57 10 months	Beasley Wood Funeral Home
							Rest is thine and sweet remembrance ours.
Kelly	Anna Johnson	March 17 1883 - Nov 22 1959	At rest 				
3 unmarked graves
Kelly	John and wife 	1809-1894 [that headstone in 2023 is back at Oak Hill Cemetery]
Kelly	Thomas M.	1845 1929			Co. E. 18 SC Inf. CSA 
Fair	S.A.		1876-1915
Fair	S.J.		1898-1910
Fair	infant		1910
Crook	Charlie		July 18 1894 - Oct 8 1895
Rogers	Oda L.		Sep 23 1896 -  Jan  8 1997	dau of D.E. & M.E. Rogers
Rogers	Mae E.		Oct  8 1903 -  Oct 10 1903	dau of D.E. & M.E. Rogers

Tabor	Thomas Lee	Aug 6 1999	age 84	 	Goss Funeral Home
Tabor	Lyda B.		Dec 19 1926 - Jan 18 1999	married Nov 30 1945
Tabor	John  		May 28 1919 - May 6 1982
Tabor	John Davidson II 1919 - 1998
Tabor	Billy Eugene 	Oct 30 1949 - May 10 1972	 age 22 6 mon 11 day
			Sgt. US Army Vietnam		Thornton Funeral Home
Tabor	infant		June 1947
Tabor	Carlton R.	Aug 31 1953 - Nov 15 1953
Tabor	John 		1892-1918
Thompson Nettie		1893-1978
Thompson John V.	1898-1967
Tabor	Laura		1882-1951
Tabor	Benjamin	1877-1925
Evans	Orvil		4/7/1924 - 19/6/1925
Evans	Willie		Aug 2 1864 - Jan 27 1925
Evans	Sarah		Dec 7 1872 - April 7 1950 	Asleep in Jesus peaceful rest
Markham	Benjamin H. 	Sep 20 1889 - Jan 19 1969
Markham	Nica Ann	Oct 19 1899 - Jan 29 1975
Featherson Elmer	Dec 19 1889 - July 20 1906 son of J. & C.K. Featherson
Tabor	Floyd 		Nov 10 1909   Feb 26 1982
Tabor	Bonita J.	May  5 1919 - Nov 26 1979	Grillin-Legett-Bealy & Roth, Little Rock 6800 West 72th
Justice	Lucy W.		Jul 7 1838 - Sep 11 1902	wife of J.W. Justice At rest
Chapman	Bertie		1893-1895
Chapman	Vivian		1920-1921
Hill	Elvis		Jul 31 1910 - Nov 14 1914	 son of Mr & Mrs W.J. Hill

Row 3
Kelly	Emley		1887 - 1984			Here only till the day dawns
Kelly	Thomas E.	1882 - 1958
Kelly	O.W.		1904
Kelly	Mrs S.		1841?
Kelly	_____						difficult to read
Kelly	Cenia		Jan 20 1911 - Sep 7 1926
Kelly	Birdie		Jun 27 1914 - Jun 29 1914
Kelly	Sally		Aug 26 1912 - Aug 26 1913
Singleton Nettie			Feb 12 1910
Kelly	Henry Wade	Nov 19 1882 - March 13 1968 	Mason emblem
Kelly	June		Jun 26 1889 - Dec 24 1980	(Chapman) Singing with the heavenly chorus.
Kelly	Ralph		1920 - 1920			At Rest
Kelly	Lyda		1911 - 1913			At Rest
Kelly	infant		1908 -1909
Kelly	James H.	Dec 29 1839 - Feb 14 1920 	CSA
Kelly	Margaret C.	July 8 1842 - Sept 5 1916
two unmarked graves
Foster	Harvey Isaac	Mar 1897  7/14/1977	 	age 80 3 months 26 days ?1997
Foster	William		1896  1920
Muncrief Ethel		Dec 18 1898 - Sept 30 1988	(Bass)
Stipe	M.A.		Apr 27 1837 - May 24 1915	wife of J.I. Stripe  Darling we miss thee
Stipe	J.I.		Feb 22 1838- Mar 8 1917		Gone but not forgotten

Row 6
Maddox	Sarah
Maddox	M.A.		Sept 1868  Sep 22 1907
			You are not dead to us but as a bright star unseen.
			We hold that you are overhead though death ... minds behold
Maddox	G.W.		Jan 9 1845 - Sep 2 1931		soldier engraved on stone Civil War Vet.
Maddox	M.C.		Sep 17 1850 -July 29 1902	married Sept 1. 1870	wife of G.W.
Maddox	Bryant L.	12 Jan 1879 d, Feb 16 1905	son of G.W. & M.G. Maddox
			Donnie Gibbs, Bettie Chapman, Jennie Kelley, Dexter Maddox,
			Joannah Maddox  We will try and met you on high, where...
Maddox	George W.	May 12 1927- Mar 11 1997	U.S. Navy
Maddox	Jonah 		March 16 1894 - Feb 6 1959	 ARK PVT Co. G. 346 Inf. WW1
Maddox	Ira L.		Sep 9 1906	 age 63
Maddox	Elize		Jan 26 1907 - Aug 31 1973	 Thornton Funeral Home
Maddox			May 12 1927 - Mar 11 1997	 U.S. Navy W.W.II
Maddox	Oda E.		Nov 13 1897 - Jul 12 1935
Maddox	S.D.(Deck)	1887 -1936

Hill	Melisa 		1867 - 1913
Muncrief B. Frank	April 4 1895 - March 7 1961
Smith	 Henry Lee	Jan 10 1879 - March 3 1958	age 79 years 1 month 23 days	 Beasley-Wood Funeral Home, Mena
Bass	James H. 	Nov 4 1903 - Oct 18 1911
Bass	Seaborn	Willis 	Feb 20 1860 - Feb 13 1951
Bass	Mary A.		Sep 9 1860 -  May 30 1921

Simpson	C.J.		May 25 1855 - Oct 18 1909

Swinford Slettia    1888 - 1908
Swinford Marion E.     1880 - 1965
Swinford Marion Eli     1881 - 1965                     (F.H. marker)


Thomas Swinford was the first to be buried at Lone Valley Cemetery. Thomas was the husband of Mary Elizabeth Daves. Mary was a d/o A.M. Daves. Marion Eli Swinford is the s/o Mary E. Daves & Thomas Swinford. Marion Elia Swinford b. Dec.13 1880 in Sims, AR. d. 5 Sept. 1965 in Roff, Pontotoc Co., OK. He married (1) Slettia " Ledia" McKay 28 Oct. 1906 in Montgomery Co. d/o Andrew McKay. 

McKay    Delphia Hill 	Sept 17 1832 - Jul 29 1916

McKay Andrew Carson Mar 28 1830 - June 7 1915

Tabor	Lois Maxine	Aug 21 1933 - Aug 21 1933
Tabor	Susie Kelly	1909 - 1991			married 1925
Tabor	Iduce		1904 - 1988
Tabor	Ernest E.	Oct 11 1927 - Apr 17 1972	Washington SG TRP G. Cav. W.W.II
Tabor	Berlene		1928-
Tabor	John Olan	Sept 2. 1957			Asleep in Jesus
Tabor	Bruce Dwight	Sept 9 1954			Asleep in Jesus
Tabor	Ernie Keith	Jul 11 1972 - Jul 12 1972

Back fence row
Fuchsberger Tina	Apr 14 1972 - Apr 14 1972	Geyer-Quillin Funeral Home, Mena	
Peterson Audrey	Avis	Jul 02 1929 - Jul 3 1983	wed May 14 1950
Peterson John Leith	Nov 19 1927 - Dec 29 1998
Priddy	Dewey L.	9/12/1904 - 11/24/1977  
Priddy	Ruby M		6/05/1907 -  9/20/1981
Melton	Warren		Nov 14 1923 - Sep 3 1990	PFC US Army WWII
Springer Kathleen E. 	Mar 30 1924 - Dec 4 1983
Carlton A. Weeks	Nov 2 1924 - Dec 1 1998		age 74 "Buddy" Tec 5 US Army WWII
Carlton	Cretia R.	Dec 18, 1953
Scott	James R.	Dec 31 1936 - Feb 6 1937	Our darling baby
Fair	James T.	Apr 8 1876 - May 13 1936	God Bless Our Father
			b. 1875 (F.H. marker)		Gross Mortury Hot Springs
Fair 	Ester		Mar 12 1901 - Nov 11 1912	Ethel
Fair	Burl		Dec. 10 1911	May 3 1913

Nettie Singleton wrote "Memories of a County Girl" and described the church life. The WPA records of 1942 states the church records were in the custody of E.P. Leonard of Oden, clerk.

Minutes of Caddo River Baptist Association
1888: Church: Macedonia. Pastor: O. C. Miller. Clerk: E. Justice. Deacons: none.
1890: Church: Macedonia, Pastor: O. C.Miller. Clerk: J. A. Johnson. Messenger: G. W.   Johnson of Oden.
G. W.  Johnson of Macedonia Church, died March 10th 1893, born May 19th 1835.
1893: Church: Macedonia, Pastor: J. J.Holland, Clerk: G.W. Maddox, Messengers: Wm. Crees, and C.  Carlisle of Oden.

Thirty-eighth Annual Caddo River Association held at Macedonia Baptist Church, September 7, 8, and 9 1895. Preaching:  A. R. Chitwood, S. Z. Moran and delegates of Macedonia Church.
Church: Macedonia, Pastor: J. J. Holland, Clerk: G. W. Maddox, Messengers: Abe McKay, A. C. McKay and G.  Blackstun of Sims.
1899: Church: Macedonia, Pastor: J. W. Shepperd, Clerk: J. A. Johnston of Oden, Montgomery Co. Messenger: C. J. Simpson.

Churchyard Poetry
Quaint epitaphs in old burial places always form an interesting study.


Wash Maddox - was he in the Civil War. He is buried at the Macedonia Cemetery on Hwy 88 between pencil Bluff and Sims, Arkansas. His name is on the 1930 US Federal Census as living in Ouachita Township, and he is listed as a veteran in the CW (Civil War).

I believe the headstone at Macedonia is an afterthought placed well after the man's death and his descendants took what was available from the stocks at hand. Metal helmets were used were in WW1 but that depicted on the stone would be that developed soon after Pearl Harbor in WWII.

G.W. Maddox headstone.

Here lies a sinner,
if saved, saved by grace.
G.W. Maddox headstone. Died at age 86.  A Civil War veteran, Co. K 3 AR Inf. C.S.A. [I may have the wrong regiment]
Source 1930 census. Dates don't match but he is buried beside Sarah.
George W. Maddox age 48, b. abt. 1853, in Alabama, married Sarah L. Brooks, age 34, b, abt 1867 were married 19 Dec. 1901 in Oden.
The 1930 census shows Sarah as his wife. He probably 56 when he married a 34 year old. His father was born in Maryland.

Funeral Homes
Montgomery County ArkansasGenWeb Project

Fishing spot!
Has any one ever done a census on grasshoppers in Montgomery Co. AR in July? They are extremely thick this year 2001. You cannot drive down the roads without out killing them. There were probably hundreds every square yard, they just fly up and get in your way. They make good fish bait. I watched my nephew catch a 22" largemouth bass last weekend at the six acre Macedonia Pond, near Pencil Bluff. We had it for dinner. In 1998 the pond was stocked with 300 catchable channel catfish, 1,500 yearling bluegill bream and 1,755 yearling redear bream. In November 2000 stocked with 250 catchable channel catfish.

Live fish will come at any cost,
And in the lake they will be tossed.
The angler then with rod and line
May fish away when the weather's fine.