Cemeteries Tell Stories

Somehow, on my journey on researching ancestors, I developed a hobby of visiting cemeteries, especially old cemeteries. Cemeteries are a gold mine of information. Sometimes, tombstones tell more than just a name and death date.  They give clues to other parts of their lives. You might find a woman’s maiden name on her tombstone or you might find out if the person had any military involvement. At one time, families had plots and those buried were often related to each other.

In November 2014, my cousin Mack and I visited the “Old Hopewell Black Cemetery” with the help of Mike (who knows where almost any cemetery in Yalobusha County, Mississippi is located). The cemetery was not close to where most locals indicated. I was told that the cemetery was so old that there probably aren’t any tombstones there or the tombstones probably weren’t in good condition. Those statements did not discourage me from finding this cemetery.

The cemetery is about 3 miles southwest of Coffeeville, MS in the woods and about a mile from the nearest road. We had to cross a low swampy area to reach the cemetery. To our amazement, we found the tombstone of my great great great grandfather, Aaron Dudley.

Aaron Dudley (August 10, 1828 – August 8, 1909)

Mississippi did not start producing death certificates until November 1, 1912. So, seeing this old tombstone was an unbelievable feeling.

In July of this year, I attended the Midwest African American Genealogy Institute in St. Louis, MO. Angela Walton-Raji, who is also a DNA cousin of mine, was teaching a session in the Institute about restoring and preserving cemeteries. My eyes lit up during this session. This is something that I want to do. During her lecture, she talked about symbols on tombstones. My mind immediately went back to the Old Hopewell Black Cemetery and I remembered seeing those unfamiliar symbols on the tombstones.

After the Institute ended, I emailed Angela a picture of one of the tombstones in that cemetery. Angela immediately sent back pictures and links to other websites that explained the symbol on that particular tombstone.

The tombstone reads “E.D. Turner Climax Circle No 19 died January 24, 1925”. His grave marker depicts a curious symbol on the top depicting an animal and the letters RCF. RCF stands for Royal Circle of Friends. Royal Circle of Friends is an African-American fraternal organization that was founded in 1909 in Arkansas. The organization was founded to supply insurance to the African-American population but was also dedicated to the moral, physical, social, and economic welfare of its members.

Other Tombstones Located in Old Hopewell Black Cemetery

Herron Jackson August 11, 1912 – July 24, 1937

Sara J. Kee 1871-1909

Roxie, daughter of Nat and Sara Kee December 17, 1890 – June 15, 1908

Riney Brown died May 7, 1939 age 65 years

Henry Dudley June 24, 1866 – February 28, 1938

Bettie Dudley April 13, 1865 – August 4, 1952

Eliza Dudley February 4, 1888 – April 7, 1889

Sammie Dudley May 24, 1895 – December 26, 1895

Henry Dudley April 23, 1896 – May 10, 1897

Anna Dudley Kimble July 6, 1864 – March 4, 1903

Abner aged 76 years

Mary P. Tinnon died March 1953

Celia Greene June 20, 1868 – May 24, 1942

C.A. Green age 19 years

Who knew that these symbols were telling a story, a story of camaraderie, support, and solidarity of African Americans.