2017 1 I Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 1
DAVIE DOSSIER
Issued by
Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society
Mocksville, North Carolina
January 2017, Issue 1
Davie County Cemeteries
Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 2
DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
President, Linda Leonard
Vice President, Margaret Cevasco
Secretary, Pat Mason
Treasurer, Marie Craig
Board of Directors, Claude Horn
Dossier Editor, Marie Craig
Webmaster, Marie Craig
Our Website, www.rootsweb.ancestry.com.com/~ncdavhgs has these features:
All the churches in Davie County
Cemeteries in Davie County with locations
Names on the War Memorial in Mocksville
Index to Bible Family Records at DCPL
Order blanks so you don’t tear up Dossier
History of nine newspapers in Davie County
Meeting Dates and Programs
Guardian Accounts, Davie Co., 1846-1859
Apprentice Bonds, Davie Co., 1829-1959
1974 booklet about old schools in Davie
Branson’s NC Business Directories for Davie Co.
Sources for black family history
Another Website about Davie County genealogy and history:
http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Davie_County%2C_North_Carolina
Meetings are on the fourth Thursdays at 7 pm at Davie County Library History Room.
DCHGS PROGRAMS IN 2017:
January 26: Brent Shoaf, registrar of deeds
February 23: Members to bring newspaper from birth year to share what happened that year
March 23: Tour of Jesse Clement house
April 28: Video made in 1991, “A Conversational History of Mocksville”
New Life Member of DCHGS: Dr. Karen S. Patrick - Thanks !
There are 117 members; 16 of these are libraries or associations.
Financial Report
1 January 2016 Balance Brought Forward $6,678.87
Receipts: books/maps $178.81
Receipts: membership $878.00
Receipts: Daniel Boone Festival $298.00
Disbursements $379.30
31 December 2016 $7,654.38
FUTURE CONFERENCES
National Genealogical Society --: May 10-13, 2017, in Raleigh at the Convention Center.
http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/. Vendors, classes, how-tos, demonstrations, new technology of genealogical skills
RootsTech – February 8-11, 2017 in Salt Lake City. See https://www.rootstech.org/. You can also watch online.
Federation of Genealogical Societies: August 30 – Sept. 2 in Pittsburgh PA, http://www.fgs.org/cpage.php?pt=43
Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 3
CEMETERIES DESCRIBED IN PAST ISSUES OF DOSSIERS
CEMETERY LATITUDE/LONGITUDE ISSUE PAGE
Advance Baptist 35.9409; -80.4101
1996 1 6
Advance Methodist 35.9445, -80.4114 1997 2 4-5
Anderson Family 35.9167, -80.6652 1994 2 4-6
Anderson Family “ 1998 3 1-3
Bailey’s Chapel 35.9167, -80.4280 1995 2 5
Clement Family 35.8801, -80.5521 2002 1 3-6
Clement Family “ 2010 4 4-5
Calahaln Baptist 35.9311, -80.6694 1997 1 3
Click Family 35.8243, -80.5193 1999 1 2-3
Dulin Methodist 35.9379, -80.4961 1999 2 2-3
Episcopal – Fork 35.8827, -80.4446 1998 2 2-3
Frost Slave 1995 2 7
Frost Family 1997 3 6
Fulton Methodist 35.8861, -80.4188 1998 1 3-4
Heidelburg Lutheran 35.8997, -80.4967 1997 2 5
Hendricks Family 36.0193, -80.6199 2002 3 2-3
Ijames Baptist 35.9353, -80.6417 1999 3 3-5
Ijames Baptist “ 1999 4 3-5
Jerusalem Baptist 35.8163, -805183 1999 1 4-5
Joppa 35.9093, -80.5779 1989 1 6-7
Joppa “ 1990 1 7-8
Joppa “ 1990 3 8-10
Joppa “ 2008 1 1
Joppa, archaeology “ 2008 3 2
Joppa Cemetery research, Mark Hager “ 2009 2 2
Legion Memorial 35.8162, -80.5491 1998 4 3-5
McCullough Family 35.8564, -80.52911 2003 3 2-3
Meaning of Gravestone Inscriptions --- 2014 2 3-4
Olive Branch 35.9948, -80.5339 2000 1 2-4
Olive Branch “ 1997 4 4
Pearson Family 35.8087, -80.5326 2001 4 6
Pearson Family “ 2009 2 4
Ratledge-Neal-Gray 1998 3 4
Rose – selected graves 35.9045, -80.5564 2000 3 3
Wesley Chapel 36.0226, -80.5786 2000 2 4-8
Whitaker’s Meeting 35.9508, -80.5331 1997 1 2-3
Cemeteries, sources sites -- 2011 4 5
Tombstone Symbols -- 2014 2 3-4
Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 4
DAVIE COUNTY CEMETERIES, VOLUME I AND II
For sale, see page seven
DAVIE COUNTY CEMETRIES, VOLUMES I
AND II, record the names of approximately 18,000
persons known to have been buried in the 150-plus
family, church, and community cemeteries in the county.
The listing of grave markers is alphabetical by surname
in each cemetery with any available data, including
given names and family relationships (such as wife,
husband, daughter, or son), date of birth and death, and
grave marker inscriptions. Directions to each cemetery,
helpful to the researcher wishing to visit the site, are
explained in the introductory statement for that particular
cemetery.
As early as the 1930’s, the late Flossie Martin,
Mary Jane Heitman, and Blanche Hanes Clement visited
various old cemeteries and recorded information from
grave markers. Miss Martin, and later James Wall and
the late Jim Tutterow, Davie County High School
history teachers, encouraged students to collect data
from burial sites they knew about, especially those
gravestones in isolated areas. Charles Williams and the
late Howell Boone gathered records from several sites.
These cemetery records became a part of the extensive
Martin Collection in the Davie County Public Library
and became the ‘core collection’ when it was decided in
1996 to publish a listing of all the cemeteries in the
county. Without these earlier valuable records, many
names would have been lost entirely, as some old
cemeteries are now completely obliterated and many
tombstones have crumbled with age.
The Davie County Historical and Genealogical
Society expresses appreciation to the many who have
aided in this endeavor. Doris Frye, part-time library
staff person in the Martin-Wall History Room, has
coordinated the project and assisted with processing the
data. Nancy Murphy, a 29-year volunteer in the Martin-
Wall History Room, entered much of the data into the
computer and is deserving of utmost appreciation.
Special recognition is due Glenna and Andrew Lagle,
who recently researched data for twenty-five cemeteries
included in these volumes. A sincere thank you is
expressed to the Society committee members Frances
Beck, David Joyner, Judy McBride, Karen Smith, and
Janie Swaringen; to Neal Smith, Davie County
Computer Supervisor; and the many other individuals in
the county who gathered data from their church, family,
and community cemetery sites.
Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society
Acknowledgements
1998
In these 19 years, many people have benefitted from the hard work these researchers compiled. These records are also
online at http://cemeterycensus.com/nc/index.htm, but having the paper books where you can make notes and mark the
graves that belong to your family is a genuine assist to your own compilation.
Volume I contains cemeteries alphabetized from Advance Baptist to Joppa. Volume II starts with Legion Memorial in
Cooleemee and ends with Zion Methodist which had a previous name of Hickory Grove. Each book is indexed by
deceased persons in that volume.
Even better than finding your special family member’s name in a book is going to the cemetery and visiting that grave.
It’s a wonderful, meaningful experience to commune with that person.
If your family members are buried far away, there’s still hope for relating to their burial. www.FindAGrave.com is a free
Website that features tombstones, family relationships, obituaries, photos of the person, photos of the tombstone, and
notes. It’s possible to contact the person who contributed the information and share data and kinship. I have found
several new cousins that way. I added another field to my ancestors’ pages in RootsWeb: FindAGrave. I put the Find A
Grave ID number of that person. It’s easier to find them again on that Website with a number rather than searching with
names. There are a lot of people with the very same names, but the ID numbers are unique.
One of our very special members of DCHGS, Taylor Slye, died last October 26.
He was especially interested in finding and documenting obscure cemeteries in our county.
He shared this information with John Gallimore, previous GIS and Public Safety Administrator for Davie,
and currently Chief Technology Officer. John recorded these on maps.
Thanks, Taylor; we’ll miss you.
MISC.
If you have copies of Images of America Davie County and Images of America Mocksville there is an index to them at
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ncdavhgs/ioaindex.pdf.
Listing of Historical Markers by Michael Wilcox of Kernersville; www.HMdb.org
Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 5
PEARSON CEMETERY
Report from COOLEEMEE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION (CHA)
Written by Lynn Rumley, secretary of CHA
Perpetual Honor Is Due
When my husband, Jim Rumley, and I first moved
to Cooleemee in 1986, one of the first places that local
young workmates wanted to show us was a very old
graveyard out in the woods off Pine Ridge Road in Davie
County.
Trees had grown up in its midst. One could barely
make out that there had once been a perimeter wall of very
large, quarried stones. Headstones were scattered in nearby
woods.
But, these local young folks, mostly from Rowan
County, knew the basics. It was the final resting place of
Richmond Pearson, the leader of the local patriot militia in
the American Revolution. They also told us about the two
young sisters who had been “buried standing up.”
Well before our local historical association was
born in 1989, we realized that Cooleemee’s elders were all
aware of this place. In the early 1900s the cemetery had
been a destination for young courters’ Sunday afternoon
walks on the road that led there from North Cooleemee.
They spoke of an old abandoned house that once stood just
outside its walls and an iron gate that led into the graveyard
itself. They, too, knew the legend of the “girls,” adding
they were buried that way “for their love of dancing.”
Our “Forks of the Yadkin” Patriot Legacy
I know how difficult it is to ensure that something,
anything, of local history actually moves forward in public
memory. Apart from family ancestry, little of this happens
absent of a memorial or a place---something tangible which
connects a story or narrative to that bit of history. The
Pearson Graveyard is a community treasure for just that
reason.
In the late 1990s, a Greensboro doctor showed up
at the Zachary House in Cooleemee hoping we could show
him where this cemetery was located. He owned the
Richmond Hill Inn in Asheville and was intrigued with
everything about this man. We took him to the spot.
Over the next few years, this generous man, Dr.
Albert Michel, became the cemetery’s “anonymous”
benefactor and patron. His good works continued until his
death a few years ago.
The good doctor paid to have Terry Dedmon and
Del McCullough, whose families both date back to the
Richmond Pearson era, largely restore this early 1800s
graveyard to its original, quaint glory. Thank goodness the
stones were found at the neighboring farmer’s place, and he
had never gotten around to using them for a long-planned
retaining wall. He gladly parted with them for the project.
Only a few were truly missing and they were replaced. The
iron gate was located and returned to its proper entry place.
All the main head stones were located and trees and brush
removed. A chain link fence was eventually installed with
a generous grass perimeter and gate that can be locked.
Another project was funded by the doctor. Under
the direction of Dr. Kenneth Robinson, the Wake Forest
University Archeological Lab conducted a thorough
investigation of the graveyard. This included an in depth
biography of Richmond Pearson and an archeological
review based on a non-intrusive “dig” of the graveyard,
which established that there were many more people buried
there than we ever imagined (27) and whose names we will
probably never know.
We already knew there were three important
historical figures resting there along with their relatives
(and one friend) including: patriarch Richmond Pearson,
leader of the patriot militia unit in the Forks of the Yadkin
during the American Revolution; son, U.S. Congressman
Joseph Pearson; and son, General Jesse Pearson who fought
in the War of 1812 under Gen. Andrew Jackson and who
named Cooleemee Plantation. Also buried there are
Richmond’s wife, Eliza; their daughter Mary Pearson;
infant son Richmond (one year old); Ann Maria (first wife
of Joseph) and her sister Sarah McLin (the ones “standing
up”).
Shall This Sacred Ground Endure?
This depends on us. The Cooleemee Historical
Association has acted alone as trustee of this place since
Dr. Michel first came to its rescue in 1999. He provided
funds for its mowing until he passed away about three years
ago. Since that time, CHA has born that expense which is
approximately $600-700 per year.
Now, CHA is going through a major transition.
Jim and Lynn Rumley have retired from full-time work as
of the end of 2016. After 27 years, the organization’s long-
standing publication, The History Loom, has published its
last edition (#104). And, our base of supporters, the WWII
generation, has largely passed away.
We are no longer in a position to act as the trustee
of the Pearson Graveyard. That is why we have embarked
on calling together a group of concerned individuals and
groups that will form a Pearson Graveyard Trust to ensure
that this site is maintained in perpetuity. This is a
minimum that our community can do so that the American
Revolution is known by future generations as a tangible
part of our local historic legacy---something that every
child is told about with pride by their family by the time
they come of age.
If you are interested in serving in a group that will
ensure that Pearson Cemetery continues to be well-
preserved or to make a donation for its upkeep, please
contact MarieBCR@gmail.com.
Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 6
CHRONOLOGY OF RICHMOND PEARSON
(Information is sketchy due to early time period. If you have corrections, please let me know.)
August 1751 Richmond Pearson was born in Dinwiddie, Virginia
5 November 1772 married Sarah Haden in Albemarle County, Virginia
Late 1770s moved to Forks of the Yadkin
1784 Sarah died at age 51
1791 bought the shoals near current town of Cooleemee; later called “Pearson’s Falls”
3 October 1791 In Orange Co., NC, married Elizabeth Coit Mumford (b. 8 Nov. 1769 in New London, New
London Co., Connecticut; d. December 1843 in Fayetteville, Hoke Co., NC)
1792 Richmond and Elizabeth’s daughter, Elizabeth, is born in Orange Co., NC
1794 Richmond and Elizabeth’s daughter, Sarah A., is born at Richmond Hill in Rowan Co., NC
1796 Richmond and Elizabeth’s son, Charles R., is born at Richmond Hill
24 June 1805 Richmond and Elizabeth’s son, Richmond Mumford, is born at Richmond Hill
1807 Richmond and Elizabeth’s son, George, is born at Richmond Hill
17 February 1807 Richmond and Elizabeth’s son, Giles William, is born at Richmond Hill
1809 Richmond and Elizabeth’s son, John Stokes, is born at Richmond Hill
4 June 1819 Richmond Pearson died and was buried in family cemetery at L/L: 35.808679, -80.532594
December 1843 Elizabeth died
1999 cemetery was cleared of overgrown plants
Summer 2000 archeological dig by Wake Forest
14 October 2001 field trip by DCHGS to cemetery
22 March 2009 grave marking ceremony by Sons of the American Revolution and their Color Guard by
unveiling a new marker at the grave of local patriot Richmond Pearson Sponsored also by the
Cooleemee Historical Association.
Nine names are listed in the DCHGS Cemetery Book for Pearson Family Cemetery:
Sarah Jennett McLin, Mrs. Pearson’s sister (not stated which Mrs. Pearson), no dates given, 16 at death
Ann Maria Pearson, died 11 September 1806, 20 at death, wife of Joseph Pearson
Charles Pearson, 28 July 1833 – 20 November 1836
Eliza Pearson, November 1771 – December 1845
General Jesse A. Pearson, no dates given
Joseph Pearson, died on 27 October 1834 at 54 years old
Mary Pearson, 16 November 1835 – 19 June 1842
Richmond Pearson, August 1751 – August 1819
Richmond Pearson, 22 June 1833 – 4 June 1834
Photo at right at Pearson Family Cemetery on 22
March 2009
Photo below is aerial view, Google Earth
Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 7
ORDERING BOOKS AND MAPS
Title Author Cost N
o. Cost
Davie County. A Brief History, paperback James W. Wall, 128 pages $ 6.50
The Boone Families in Davie County Wall, Howell Boone, Flossie Martin $ 8.00
Davie County Marriages 1836-1900 Nancy K. Murphy $25.00
Davie County Marriages 1901-1959 Nancy K. Murphy $25.00
Davie County Cemeteries, a 2-volume set D.C. Historical/Gen. Soc. $55.00
1850 Federal Census-Davie County Forsyth Genealogical Society $15.00
1860 Federal Census-Davie County Nancy K. Murphy and Everette Sain $20.00
1870 Federal Census-Davie County Nancy K. Murphy and Everette Sain $20.00
Lagle Land Grant $ 7.00
Hughes Historical, 1700's, drawn in 1977 $ 6.00
J.T. Alderman, 1887 $ 6.00
Wilson F. Merrell, 1928 $ 6.00
POSTCARDS OF DAVIE CO. SCENES, (set of 8) $ 2.50
CD of all issues Davie Dossier since 1987 $ 7.00
Davie County Heritage Book, cost is $45; Make check to Davie County Heritage Book.
Use DCHGS address below.
The Historic Architecture of Davie Co., cost is $30;
History of Davie County, hardback, by James W. Wall, 449 pages; cost is $30;
Make check to Davie County Public Library. Use DCHGS address below.
The Civil War Roster of Davie County by Mary Alice Miller Hasty and Hazel Miller Winfree incorporates
biographical and military service sketches of 1,147 Davie County Civil War veterans. Non-NC resident cost is $60. NC
resident cost is $64.26. Checks should be made out to M & M Books and sent to Mary Alice Hasty, 105 East Brick
Walk Court, Mocksville NC 27028.
History of Davie County Schools, 318 pages, by Marie Benge Craig Roth has photos, locations, longitude/latitude,
names of students, and teachers. There is an 18 page index of 3,222 names. A chronology describes the evolution of the
school system in Davie. Make check to Marie Roth for $40.26 for non-residents and $43 for NC resident. Order: 276
Park Ave., Mocksville NC
Davie County in World War One by Marie Benge Craig Roth has 670 biographies of Davie men and women who
served, photographs, old letters, description of military bases, and extensive index. 400 pages. Make check to Marie
Roth for $42.47 for non-residents and $45 for NC resident. Order: 276 Park Ave., Mocksville NC 27028.
Davie County Veterans’ Memorial, by Marie Benge Craig Roth has lists of all war deaths and biographies and photos
of WW2, Korean, Vietnam, and Beirut Bombing deaths. Tom Ferebee’s 32 minute talk at the dedication in 1987 is
included. $31.23 for non-resident and $33 for NC resident. Order: 276 Park Ave., Mocksville NC 27028.
Remembering Davie County Protection and Service Personnel by Marie Benge Craig Roth contains biographies of the
five law enforcement personnel who died on duty and also photos and descriptions of the monument erected in their
memory. The monument also honors all first responders in Davie County. Order: 276 Park Ave.; total cost $17.
Davie County in the Spanish-American War by Marie Benge Craig Roth contains biographies of the 15 men who
served in this war and the resulting war in the Philippines. Order: 276 Park Ave.; total cost $20
Cana Connections, 201 pages, by Betty Etchison West; Life in Cana in the Thirties and Forties and Special People
with Cana Connections. There are many biographies and photos of people and buildings. Order from Betty West, 3532
NC Hwy. 801 North, Mocksville NC 27028. Make check to Betty West for $35, which includes tax and shipping.
Looking Back at Davie County II by Charles Crenshaw and Ron Smith. $45. Mail orders to Charles Crenshaw, 421
Park Avenue, Mocksville NC 27028
DCHGS, 371 North Main Street, Mocksville NC 27028
You are encouraged to send articles and queries to be published in the next issue.
Send to DCHGSList@gmail.com
Davie Dossier, January 2017 page 8
Davie county historical/genealogical society
371 North Main Street
Mocksville NC 27028
If you would like to receive your Dossier as a PDF attachment in an E-mail instead of a paper copy,
please send an E-mail message to the editor at dchgslist@gmail.com.
Please state “E-mail my Dossier instead of mailing a paper copy” and include your E-mail address. This
saves money, time, postage, effort, and paper.
The number beside your name, above, shows the year for which you last paid $5 dues. Example: if you have a 15 by your
name, you have paid dues through 2015. 2017 Dues are due now!
MEMBERSHIP for a calendar year is still just $5.00/year. Life Membership is $100 per person.
We are 501(c)(3) and dues are tax deductible.
Below is a registration form for your use; checks, payable to the Society.
DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (DCHGS)
Davie County Public Library, 371 Main Street
Mocksville, North Carolina 27028
NAME ________________________________________________________________________
ADDRESS _____________________________________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________
Send my copy by E-mail instead of paper; yes, no