UNION GROVE CEMETERY - 1
NORTHWEST OF MARMADUKE COUNTY ROAD 444
THE NAMES UNDERLINED HAVE PHOTOS .
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ar/county/greene/
HISTORY OF UNION GROVE CEMETERY
POSTED BY PERMISSION
BY DR. C.W. STARNES
01/17/2009
DR. STARNES HAS FREELY DONATED ALL OF HIS RESEARCH HE HAS COMPILED THRU THE YEARS TO ME TO POST TO THE GREENE COUNTY , ARKANSAS AND CROSSOVER COUNTIES IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS WEBSITE .
HE HAS COMPILED YEARS OF RESEARCH AND HARD WORK ON ALL SORTS OF INFORMATION ON THE COUNTY , COMMUNITIES , FAMILIES , CEMETERIES , MAPS , SCHOOLS AND LOTS MORE OF INTERESTING TOPICS IN GREENE COUNTIES HISTORY THAT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED . HE HAS GIVEN A LIFETIME OF CONTRIBUTING AND STILL DOING THE RESEARCH HE LOVES TODAY ON GREENE COUNTY , ARKANSAS .
I AM HONORED TO BE GIVEN THIS PRIVILEGE TO SHARE , DR. STARNES LIFETIME OF RESEARCH WITH OTHER RESEARCHERS .
THANK YOU
TINA EASLEY
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UNION GROVE CAN HARDLY BE CONSIDERED A CEMETERY IN THE USUAL SENSE OF THE WORD . HOWEVER , IT DOES CONTAIN ONE GRAVE , AND THE STORY OF ITS ORGIN IS MOST INTERESTING .
ACCORDING TO MR. WES HAMPTON OF PARAGOULD , TWO ACRES OF LAND WERE DEEDED BY HIS FATHER , MR. BUCK HAMPTON , IN 1910 , FOR A GENERAL BAPTIST CHURCH AND CEMETERY. ACCORDING TO THE OLD CHURCH RECORDS NOW OWNED BY MRS. ALMA HAMPTON OF THE RAMER'S CHAPEL COMMUNITY , THE CHURCH WAS ORGANIZED AT THE EASTEP SCHOOL HOUSE "UNDER THE THIRTEEN ARTICLES OF FAITH" ON SATURDAY , SEPTEMBER 24, 1910 AT 11:00 A.M. SERVICES WERE OPENED BY ELDER ENOS MITCHELL .
OTHERS ON THE PROGRAM INCLUDED ELDER J.E. MOBLEY , ELDER N.J. McGUFFEY AND J.T. CHILDRESS. TWENTY MEMBERS WERE ENROLLED THAT DAY , AND THE CHURCH WAS OFFICIALLY NAMED UNION GROVE BAPTIST CHURCH . W.N. HAMPTON WAS THEN ORDAINED AND ASSISTED IN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.
THE FIRST TRUSTEES WERE J.A. CLARY , C.H. GIBBS AND B.G. GIBBS . A BUILDING COMMITTEE CONSISTED OF W.N. HAMPTON , J.T. CHILDRESS , C.H. GIBBS , N.J. McGUFFEY AND C.M. REYNOLDS .
DURING THE REMAINDER OF 1910 SERVICES WERE HELD AT RAMER'S CHAPEL AND CHURCH WHILE THE NEW CHURCH WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED . COMMUNION SERVICES WERE FIRST HELD ON SUNDAY , SEPTEMBER 24, 1910 . THE CHURCH WAS A MEMBER OF THE HOPEWELL ASSOCIATION AND REMAINED IN THAT ASSOCIATION UNTIL ITS LAST RECORDED CHURCH CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 13, 1934 . HOWEVER , THE MINUTES OF THE LAST RECORDED CONFERENCE STATE THAT THE MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO WITHDRAW FROM HOPEWELL ASSOCIATION AND UNITE WITH THE NEWLY ORGANIZED PURCELL ASSOCIATION.
AT A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING HELD AUGUST 11, 1923 MEMBERS VOTED TO MOVE THE CHURCH BUILDING TO A NEW LOCATION ONE MILE NORTH OF NEW HOME CHURCH ON LAND OWNED BY MOSES D. STARNES . REASON FOR MOVING WERE NOT RECORDED IN THE MINUTES BUT ACCORDING TO MR. HAMPTON , THE VOTE WAS FAR FROM UNANIMOUS. HE HIMSELF HAD OBJECTED SINCE HIS INFANT DAUGHTER HAD BEEN BURIED IN THE CHURCH YARD IN 1912 . HOWEVER THE BUILDING WAS MOVED DURING THE NEXT WEEK AND SERVICES WERE HELD IN THE NEW LOCATION ON SUNDAY , AUGUST 20, 1923.
MEETINGS WERE HELD UNTIL AT LEAST 1934 WHEN THE LAST MINUTES WERE RECORDED. HOWEVER , MRS. ALMA HAMPTON AND MRS. MILLIE GIBBS BOTH STATE A FEW MEETINGS WERE HELD BY VARIOUS PREACHERS DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS . THE BUILDING STOOD UNTIL THE 1950'S WHEN IT CRUMBLED . A SMALL PILE OF LUMBER REMAINS AS A FINAL REMAINDER OF OLD UNION GROVE.
CHARTER MEMBERS
N.J. McGUFFEY , W.N. HAMPTON , N.W. HAMPTON , JAMES E. MOBLEY , JOHN T. CHILDRESS , WESLEY HAMPTON , CHARLES M. McREYNOLDS , ALVA HAMPTON , ANNA DORTCH , EZRA HAMPTON , ELVETIE HAMPTON , NORA GIBBS , BELLE HAMPTON , MAUD (HAMPTON) McBRIDE , ANNA HAMPTON , SALENA McGUFFEY , LULA NEWTON , J.A. CLARY , LYDA CLARY , ISAAC SEAMONS .
OTHERS ADDED LATER HATIE CLARY , CHARLES H. GIBBS , NORA GIBBS , BEN G. GIBBS , MARY WILLIAMS , ADDIE DORTCH , ADA CLARY , CYNTHIA JOHNSON , ISAC JOHNSON , J.E. BESS , NANNIE BESS , MYRTLE BESS , IVA BESS , A.J. McNEALY , CORA McNEALY , J.H. MALONEY , S.R. CLARY , A. McDOWELL , LUCINDA McDOWELL , MARTHA HANELINE , H.H. KATO , L.J. WILLIAMS , BETTY RUSHER , CECIL C. RUSHER , T.D. HAMPTON , ANNIE HAMPTON , W.F. SMITH , SALATHA SMITH , SIDNEY DORTCH , P.N. HICKERSON , M.E. BRIDGES , MRS. BRIDGES , S.C. TAYLER , GEORGIE ANN TYLER , NELLIE RAUSH , L.B. FARMER , L.A. OWENS , C.H. GIBBS , ILER OWENS , GLADYS McREYNOLDS , J.K. CLIFTON , NORA WILLYARD , MAYBELLE RUSHER , JANE TYLER , MINNIE COLE , E.A. DOVER , MAGGIE DOVER , DORTHA DOVER , B.T. WARD , MATTIE CLUBB , C.C. CLUBB , SOPHIA CROSSNO , ADER CLUBB , Z.J. HOWE , W.M. LOFTON , J.C. TARPLEY , GEORGINA TYLER , WILLIE DORTCH , ELSIE DORTCH , MARVIN CHASTEEN , DORA CHASTEEN , SOPHIA ARNOLD , LELA CLIMER , DORTY WATLEY , ALMA HAMPTON , ALMA GIBBS , ERMA GIBBS , EDWARD CHASTEEN , EDNA CHASTEEN , JESSIE CHASTEEN , MATTALEE CHASTEEN , MYRTLE WILLIAMS , ALLEN WILLIAMS , MADONNA WILLIAMS , ULES WILLIAMS , MAYNARD MOBLEY , GOLDIE MOBLEY , ESTHER GIBBS , VERNA GIBBS .
NAMES OF APPOINTED MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH INCLUDED
N.J. McGUFFEY J.E. MOBLEY , M.E. BRIDGES , J.N. HICKERSON , H.N. CORBEN , R.C. BONE , J.R. MERIWETHER , J.W. WICKHAM , S.A. CAMPBELL , F.L. THRASHER , JOHN HARGRAVES AND A.J. GOULD .
THE ONE SMALL GRAVE REMAINS AT THE SITE OF THE OLD ORIGINAL CHURCH BUILDING . WOODS HAVE LONG SICE COVERED THE AREA. HOWEVER THE LITTLE GRAVE CAN BE SEEN FROM THE ROAD.
Hampton No Name (Inf) Died 1912 Infant dau. of Mr. & Mrs. W. D. Hampton
UNION GROVE
GENERAL BAPTIST CHURCH SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH A FORMER
BAPTIST CHURCH NAMED UNION GROVE
WHICH WAS ORGANIZED IN 1876 WITH THE REV. J.T. EDWARDS AS THE
FIRST PASTOR..
DATA COMPILED JULY 1970