The Cemetery

Joel Parish Kelley

tombstone for Joel Kelley

The oldest tombstone in the cemetery.

"The oldest grave with a marker in the cemetery is that of Joel P. Kelley who died Feb. 19, 1872. In the general area where he was buried, under the holly tree and cedar trees, are a number of old, unmarked graves. Are some of those the burial sites of people mentioned earlier who had died before the organization of the church? Did William A. Fitzgerald lay to rest the bodies of his three children on a corner of his property? Did others in the community join in burying their dead in the same location? Had even earlier settlers used that plot for a cemetery? We cannot say for sure, but we know that often families did set aside a plot of land for a cemetery. From the number of deaths in the community prior to the organization of the church, we know they had to be buried somewhere. There is no record of any of those burials in any other cemetery." Taken from the book "Blest Be The Tie That Binds" A History of Concord Community, Church and Cemetery.

A white wire fence - 5 infant children

an old picture of the cemetery area

Children of Edmund & Letha Fitzgerald dates from 1889 to 1912

Wire fence replaced with cinder blocks.

This is done to try to keep graves from being lost as many have been.

Three sites in the new part.

A new section for use has been opened on the west side of the cemetery. In 2005 there are about three graves in that part and some tombstones that have been erected to reserve grave sites.

As research has been done, oral legends have been replaced with fact. In the case of the holly tree it was quite by accident we found probably the true story of the holly tree. You will find that story on the Holly Tree page in 2000.

As we researched deed records in the Anderson County Courthouse in preparation for the historical marker, we replaced another oral legend with facts. The story had been told that Joel Parish Kelley donated the land for the cemetery at the Baptist Church when it was organized.

Research disclosed the following:

"Sept. 17, 1901 William Jacson Fitzgerald gave two acres of land to Concord Baptist Church. Not only do these two acres contain the oldest part of the cemetery but it is probably where the first church building was located.

Nov. 29, 1901 C. D. Kelly and wife, R.M. Kelly, gave approximately .65 acres of land to the Concord Baptist Church which joined to the west that given by W. J. Fitzgerald

Nov. 27, 1901 C. A. Fitzgerald and wife, M. C. Fitzgerald, gave to Concord Baptist Church a track of land containing .45 acres which joined to the north that given by W. J. Fitzgerald.

Dec. 30, 1901 W. H. Gaston & Mrs. L. A. Jemison deeded to the church a parcel of land containing 2.48 acres of land which joined the northwest corner of the track given by W. J. Fitzgerald.

Oct. 26, 1988 William C. Pannell, deeded to the Concord Cemetery Assoication a track of land containing more or less 1.65 acres which joined on the east that given by W. J. Fitzgerald.

These tracts constitute the property of the present church and cemetery."

This information taken from book "Blest Be The Tie That Binds" A History of Concord Community, Church and Cemetery. The book contains deed records and time line for the properties dating back to 1850.

Several of us worked very hard to plat the cemetery and get a new, edited, corrected listing of the burials. It is so easy to read a wrong date. When ours did not match prior records we went back and rechecked the tombstone.

I attempted to list a genelogical relationship on these records. A copy is in the Palestine Library and I have it on line - see Cemetery Listings.

If you have a question, I would be happy to look on the records for you. Please send me an email and I will get you an answer as soon as I can. epconcord@yahoo.com

Elda