Clay County AlArchives Church Records.....A brief History of Old Mt. Olive Baptist Church  Copyright Date 2022
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 November 13, 2022, 1:47 am

Township 19, Range 9, Section 6
Delta, Clay County Alabama

There are 31 graves in that old cemetery marked only by field stones with no 
names or dates. The cemetery located at the top of a high hill. There has been a 
marker placed in the cemetery with the following names: Clayborn and Susan Sims, 
Tucker and Ann Sims and -Lovvorn and the date "1865".
It is believed Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Clifton are buried in this cemetery. 

On July 26, 1865. We the hereafter named persons met at a place of divine 
worship near Brother Claborn Simes in said county do agree to unite in the 
constitution of a Baptist Church which we will call Mt. Olive. 

Rev. Wm C. Witt helped organized Mt. Olive Baptist church. He was part of the 
early years at Bethel Baptist Delta, Clay County and other Baptist churches in 
the area. Rev. Witt had been a pastor of several churches in Benton/Calhoun 
County Alabama before the Civil War. 

J. A. Shadix, Pastor [Not a member of the church]
E. Frost, Church Clerk [Moved to Cherokee County AL] 
Members: 
Claborn Simes [Clayborn Sims] 
Thornton Ashcraft [Moved to Texas]
Safrona Ashcraft [Sophronia Roberston]
Susan Coker [Susan Ashcraft-Coker] 
Sarah Simes
Susan Simes  [Susanah Waldrop-Sims]
Mathy Simes  [D/o Clayborn Sims & Susannah Waldrop][W/o Rev. John T. Thompson] 
Elizabeth Sims 
T.P. Simes
Hiram Simes [S/o Clayborn Sims & Susannah Waldrop]
N. A. Simes
Mary Gray
James Simes
Nancy McClaine
Stephen Spurling [H/o Sophronia Ashcraft] 
John L. Anders [Moved to Louisiana]
Mary E. Anders [Mary E. Dowis w/o John L. Anders]
Elizabeth M-----
Devendo Ponder
Nancy A. Simes [Nancy Clifton-Sims w/o Sterling T. Sims]
S.T. Simes [Sterling Tucker Sims] 

Between 1865 and 1867 Mt. Olive Baptist Church joined the Boiling Spring Baptist 
Association and remained with the Association until it disbanded in 1899. Mt. 
Olive Baptist Church hosted the Association meeting in 1895. 

There were several pastors of the church from 1865-1900.
Rev. J.A. Shaddix, W.C. Witt, W.H. Preston and Rev. L.P. Hodnett, all were 
circuit riding preachers. 
The church never had a membership of over 42 members per year from 1865-1899. 
Kellet Sims was the church clerk for many years, in later years W.J. Clark was 
the church clerk. 

Later members added were: 

J.T. Allen 
John A. Dover [John Abel Dover 2nd marriage was to Mary E. Clifton]
Daniel G. Bowling 
Abner Myhand [Moved to Marion County AL]
Rev. John T. Thompson [married Martha Sims] [moved to Franklin County AL]
Francis C. Fulton & wife [Francis C. Fulton married Mary J. Spears]
J.H. Fulton
James W. Clark [James Warren Clark son of F.M. Clark & Pheobe McClain] 
Wm J. Clark [Wm Jasper Clark son of F.M. Clark & Pheobe McClain] 
Jiles S. Holdridge [Jiles S. Holdridge moved to Texas]
Kellet Sims [Joined in 1868]
W.T. Mitchell
Jeremiah P. Sims 
Thomas Sims
C.M. Reynolds
J.T. Sims 
J.A. Sims 
Henry C. Sims
Abel T. Sparks 
Nancy Sparks 

In later years the Mt. Olive Baptist church was moved to its current location 
about 1/2 mile from the old cemetery. 

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/clay/churches/abriefhi208gbb.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/

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