In Gerald Torrence’s photo, the cemetery is badly overgrown and stones are covered.

Leroy Blair found graves 100’ from the rest of the cemetery, elsewhere some stones in German.

Smith Cemetery

Russell, Arkansas

This cemetery was so overgrown when volunteer Gerald Torrence visited it for the White County Historical Society in October 2000, he had to clear undergrowth to read many of the stones. It is in extremely poor condition after years of disregard. He said he found it by following these directions: take Highway 367 to Russell, turn right and cross the railroad then cross Highway 67 and go to a stop sign; turn left and go to a T in the road; go straight into a field road about 1/4 mile to the cemetery. He said a man named Roetzel owns the cemetery property and that he lives to the left at the T in the road. The cemetery may have been known as Roetzel or Russell Cemetery at one time.

Torrence reported seeing two graves of children with no markers, and other graves with no markers – including some surrounded by a concrete fence and one covered with a concrete slab. He said also found a grave marked with rocks all around it that a Mr. McAnally said contained several bodies that were unidentifiable when a sawmill exploded. An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article November 14, 1999, stated that the explosion occurred in 1923, killing three men. Marvin Harvey, who said he had lived in the area for many years, said local residents call the graveyard "Smith Cemetery." He gave the following directions for reaching it: Going east through Worden, take the first road to left (Rio Vista Road) and go approximately six miles to the end of the blacktop, then turn right on the gravel road and go about a mile to the cemetery.

When Leroy Blair of the White County Historical Society visited the cemetery December 7, 2000, some of the leaves were gone from trees and thickets and he was able to find 44 additional burial sites, 12 of them approximately 100 feet from the rest of the cemetery – "like it was a second cemetery." Those graves included Peter A. Weber, Celia Weber, George Pearce, Macdilena Weber, Benjam Weber, Elizabeth Snyder, Lena L. Mech, Sophia Remley, and four with no names. Because of weeds, bushes and some leaves remaining, Blair reported "I probably missed some graves as the flat stones are covered with dried grass and leaves."

See RUSSELL- A History for more information about Russell.

If you have corrections or additions to this list or other information on this cemetery, please contact the White County Historical Society, P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145.

Davis, Will – March 16, 1895 – November 11, 1913

Klotz, ? – March 4, 1885 – April 14, 1924

Klotz, Albert W. – March 27, 1914 – March 21, 1918

Klotz, Alvina L. – November 15, 1862 – February 14, 1925

Klotz, Auvis Leo – April 30, 1908 – October 4, 1908

Klotz, Elma Minnie – January 16, 1896 – February 28, 1896 – daughter of Leo and Aline Klotz

Klotz, Leo J. – July 5, 1853 – July 11, 1910

Klotz, Myrtle Fay – June 21, 1901 – March 7, 1927

Klotz, Sophia Alvine – June 10, 19803 – June 20, 1903 – daughter of Leo and Alvine Klotz

Klotz, twin daughters of Leo and Aline – born and died November 20, 1898

Kohl, Emel – July 17, 1895 – September 22, 1895 – son of Frank and Pauline Kohl

Kohl, Frank – October 20, 1863 – October 20, ? – Leroy Blair reported this stone appears it has been shot with a shotgun

Kohl, Hulder Olgar – August 20, 1898 – September 7, 1898 – daughter of Frank and Pauline Kohl

Kohl, Minnie Terasa – April 30, 1901 – May 15, 1901 – daughter of Frank and Pauline Kohl

Kohl, Pauline Mech – January 15, 1875 – December 30, 1926

Kohl, Richard Frank – August 30, 1898 – November 1898 – son of Frank and Pauline Kohl

Mech, Amelia – April 19, 1839 – March 10, 1914

Mech, Henrich – September 19, 1835 – February 8, 1891 – all in German

Mech, Lena Lovina – January 9, 1886 – May 21, 1887 – daughter of William and Ed Mech

Mech, Richard A.K. – January 29, 1880 – January 19, 1901 – dates and words are in German

Pearce, George – February 15, 1885 – January 19, 1919 – husband of Lena Pearce

Remley, Sophia E. – April 10, 1885 – October, ???? – wife of Henry Remley – stone is broken

Roetzel, Adeline – November 30, 1875 – October 25, 1951

Roetzel, Argusta – December 11, 1872 – March 26, 1900 – wife of John D. Roetzel – stone is broken

Roetzel, Daniel – died February 21, 1904 – age 58 – on double stone with Henrietta Roetzel

Roetzel, Dorthy – 1922 – only date

Roetzel, Fannie – September 32, 1870 – April 6, ???? – wife of John D. Roetzel – probably second wife after Argusta died – stone is broken

Roetzel, Frank Henry – died May 3, 1915 – age 73 years, 6 mos,, 5 days – on double stone with Katherine Elizabeth Roetzel

Roetzel, Frank William – June 15, 1908 – January 22, 1908 – stone broken

Roetzel, Gertrude May – May 14, 1886 – October 8, 1902 – wife of Frank F. Roetzel

Roetzel, H. Frank – March 28, 1863 – September 25, 1896 – has German writing

Roetzel, Harry – 1894 – 1918

Roetzel, Henrietta – died July 3, 1911 – age 76 – on double stone with Daniel Roetzel

Roetzel, Jacob A. – October 28, 1874 – February 4, 1951 – on double stone with Adeline Roetzel

Roetzel, Katherin Elizabeth – died February 7, 1914 – age 74 years, 4 mos., 9 days – on double stone with Frank Henry Roetzel

Roetzel, Leo H. – December 2, 1886 – July 17, 1965

Roetzel, Minnie – March 15, 1865 – November 10, 1942

Roetzel, Willie – February 26, 1900 – August 12, 1900 – son of John D. and Argusta Roetzel – stone is broken

Serrles, Artie M. – no dates – Co. I, 50th NY Eng.

Snyder, Elizabeth – died March 16, 1904 – age 82 years

Weber, Benjam – March 28, 1894 – July 2, 1894 – son of John and Lena Weber

Weber, Celia – October 9, 1884 – April 16, 1935

Weber, Leo W. – April 27, 1882 – February 13, 1927

Weber, Macdilena – February 18, 1855 – April 16, 1915

Weber, Peter A. – July 18, 1876 – June 14, 1928 – on double stone with Celia Weber

Whitford, Jimmy – no information

Withers, Rosa – June 28, 1857 – January 3, 1900 – wife of Sam

Woods, Jack – August 19, 1877 – April 8, 1899 – son of John and Rosa Woods

Woods, John – died September 28, 1899 – age 62 years