--photos by Leroy Blair, 2002
This cemetery is located on an acre about 30 yards behind the residence at
1506 West Center Street, Bald Knob. The home was owned by Darrell and Gladys
Throckmorton in June 1992 when Lois and Ray Etheridge prepared the following
list, which was published in the White County Heritage of 1995 by the
White County Historical Society. In a deed dated February 20,
1892, James K. Etheridge sold 15 acres of land to N.D. Young, reserving the
one acre with access to be known as the John A. Foster Cemetery.
Two months after the Etheridges completed their list, the Bald Knob Banner published their material about the cemetery and its origin. Subsequently, local descendents of Burns, Etheridge and Hobbs fenced and cleared an area around the graves.
The cemetery was visited September 13, 2000, by Leroy Blair of the White County Historical Society, who reported seeing 15 graves marked only with rocks and no names or dates. All of the stones listed in the Etheridge report were still in place although the 110-year-old J.B. Robbins stone had been broken.
Who was John A. Foster? Lois Etheridge, also a member of the White County Historical Society, stated in 1999 that according to family legend, John A. Foster was killed in the Civil War "up around Fort Smith." But family historians have not been able to confirm this. (See the history of the Rubottom families written by Gary Telford of the White County Historical Society in April 2004.)
If you have corrections or additional information on the John A. Foster Cemetery, contact the White County Historical Society, P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145.
Etheridge, Bertha – 1881 – 1911
Etheridge, James – 1880 – 1910
Etheridge, James K. April 17, 1845 – March 11, 1901, on double stone with Nancy J. Etheridge
Etheridge, Nancy J. – December 17, 1845 – February 14, 1888, on double stone with James K. Etheridge
Foster, Frances, daughter of Thomas F. & M.E. Foster – September 6, 1877 – May 6, 1893
Foster, Thomas F. – June 27, 1848 – November 30, 1916
"Our Baby" – a small stone with no dates
Robbins, Almeda – small stone with no dates
Robbins, Benj. M., son of J.B. & E.M. Robbins – August 9, 1883 – March 16, 1884
Robbins, Dewey – small stone with no dates
Robbins, Elvira C. – November 2, 1863 – September 15, 1904 – large stone near the small Robbins stones
Robbins, J.B. – March 1, 1862 – February 11, 1890
Robbins, Jessie E., son of J.B. & E.M. Robbins – January 8, 1885 – March 16, 1887
Robbins, Lillie May, daughter of J.B. & E.M. Robbins – February 20, 1889 – August 7, 1891
Robbins, Masura – small stone with no dates
Robbins, Wesley – small stone with no dates
Robbins, Winnie S., son of J.B. & E.M. Robbins – December 26, 1886 – March 13, 1899
Rubottom, Alpha Pearl Bell – June 12, 1891 – October 1, 1891 – child of William and Martha
Rubottom, Alvin Claudious – December 5, 1892 – March ?, 1916 – son of William and Martha
Rubottom, Hermon Wilson – December 31, 1911 – June 30, 1912
Rubottom, John Landrum – February 22, 1880 – June 21, 1905 – son of William and Martha
Rubottom, Leander – August 22, 1883 – December 20, 1886 – son of William and Martha
Rubottom, Martha Elizabeth (Foster) – August 31, 1859 at Bald Knob – December 29, 1942 at McCrory – on double stone with William P. Rubottom – daughter of John Landrum and Martha (Hart) Foster of Georgia
Rubottom, William P. – March 2, 1857 – March 1, 1951, on double stone with Martha E. Rubottom – married March 16, 1879, at Bald Knob