Southern Graves

The original acreage of Indian Springs State Park was "acquired" from the Creek Native American tribe in 1825, and has operated as a park ever since. My one and only visit to a cemetery located within the boundaries of Indian Springs State Park at Butts County, Georgia was back in September 2007. More than a decade ago, there was a ton of overgrowth, broken tombstones, stones knocked off their bases, crumbling surrounding structures, and general disrepair. Rumor has it, the condition of the cemetery only worsened. An article in the Jackson Progress-Argus (Georgia) dated 25 March 2014 stated two organizations -- the Friends of Indian Springs State Park and the Butts County Genealogical Society -- were working together to begin restoration of the cemetery. Following are two images captured for Google street view two years later in 2016: These images, as well as another article from another year later (2017), suggest progress is slow. I know it's thankless work to...

Emma's gravestone in Indian Springs Cemetery at Butts County, Georgia may not have been added until well after her death. Or the carver made a mistake. The death date on the stone and an obituary in a newspaper are a few weeks apart. Macon Telegraph (Georgia) Friday, 25 January 1907 - pg. 2 [via GenealogyBank ] Death of Miss Emma Bradley. INDIAN SPRING, Ga., Jan. 24. -- Miss Emma Bradley, formerly a resident of this place, died at the home of her sister, Mrs. William Faulkner, near Crump's Park, Macon, Ga. Miss Bardley [sic] was an estimable woman, and the news of her death is a profound sorrow to her relatives and friends. Her remains will be brought here for interment in the family lot at the public cemetery. Funeral services will be conducted at the home of her niece, Mrs. T. J. Sanders.

Roy Knox Culpepper, according to his tombstone, was born 2 April 1934. Army records, describing his service during the Korean War, suggest he was born in 1932. I think Roy might have fudged his age to get in. I wish he hadn't. According to a news item in the 13 September 1951 Butler Herald (Georgia) - After basic training at Ft. Jackson, S. C., he went to Camp Hood, Texas. He was with Co. A Sixth Medium Tank Battalion. Pvt. Culpepper left San Francisco July 18, 1950 for overseas duty. He lived barely two months more. Butler Herald (Georgia) 12 October 1950 [via Georgia Historic Newspapers ] First Talbot Soldier Reported Killed in Korea Talbotton, Ga., Oct. 8 – Seventeen year old Roy Knox Culpepper is the first Talbot county soldier to be killed in the Korean War. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Culpepper were notified of his death by the Department of Defense Sunday. The classmates of the young soldier are planning a memorial service. He would have been a senior t...