Southern Graves

I was surprised at the number of ceramic photos (sometimes known as porcelain pictures ) I found while traipsing through Forsyth Cemetery and its subdivision called Rest Haven in Monroe County, Georgia. Young soldiers and children were prevalent. From the 1940s to the 2000s. Below are the nineteen I photographed. J. Ponder Carson (1868-1943) H. Walter Carson (1873-1943) *brother of J. Ponder Calvin Clifford Hudson (1946-1967) James T. Pritchett (1881-1941) Bessie W. Pritchett (1884-1967) *wife of James T. Joseph D. Pritchett (1917-1940) *son of James & Bessie John W. Martin (1943-1966) Samuel F. Anderson, Jr. (1929-1954) Joyce A. Belknap (1953-1970) James Floyd Mitchell (1901-1962) Ozella McCord Mitchell (1903-1990) *wife of James Floyd William Raymond Maddox, Sr. (1918-1984) Lucille Bates Maddox (1919-1996) *wife of William Raymond Gail Eugenia Maddox (1946-1959) *daughter of William & Lucille Sharron Crutchfield (...

John Farish Martin rests in Lawrenceville Historic Cemetery, Gwinnett County, Georgia. He was born in Virginia 10th March 1789, and died in Gwinnett County 9th September 1856. His epitaph continues, He left no widow or orphan to mourn his loss or decorate his grave, as he lived and died a Bachelor. Mr. Martin can be found in both the population and slave schedules of the 1850 U.S. Federal Census for Gwinnett County, GA. He was owner of real estate valued at $20,000 in the Town District, as well as 59 slaves. Listed with Mr. Martin in the population schedule, curiously enough, is a young boy of 13 years. His name? John F. Martin, Jr. Hmmm... I have not researched this family, so I certainly cannot say for sure the true relationship between the two John F. Martins. But we must remember, relationship terms were used much more "loosely" in the past. The young John F. Martin might actually be the elder's nephew, or something else entirely. That's the fun of ...

Gen. James Green Martin Born in Elizabeth City, N.C. February 14, 1819 Died in Asheville, N.C. October 4, 1878 Brevet Major, U.S.A. for gallant conduct in Mexico, 1847. Brig. Gen. C.S.A. Army of Northern Va. 1864. General-In-Chief, N.C. Troops, 1861. In Command of Western N.C. 1865. General Martin was laid to rest in Riverside Cemetery; Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. He was a son of Dr. William Martin and Sophia Dange. General Martin was known as "Old One Wing" because he lost an arm in the Mexican War. - James Green Martin on Wikipedia

The image above is from the gravestone of Cola S. Martin (1903 - 1984) and Wilma B. Martin (1907 - 1990) found in Magnolia Park Cemetery ; Warner Robins, Houston County, Georgia. Notice the symbols on either side of the surname. The one on the left is a 3 chain link for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows . The one on the right is an R with a dove and crescent moon with seven stars for the Rebekah Lodge . I've tried to enlarge the images so they are easier to see below: Stamped above the chain link symbol on Cola's side of the gravestone is another 3 chain links with F, L, and T inside. This stands for Friendship, Love, and Truth. It is an important principle of Odd Fellowship. From their website (linked above), an Odd Fellow is "a person that is 16-18 years or older whom believes in a Supreme Being, Creator and Preserver of the Universe, and is faithful to their Country." Rebekahs are described this way: Odd Fellows, recognizing the need for a woman...