Cemetery Record of Ford Cemetery, Walker, Alabama http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/walker/cemetery/ford.txt ==================================================================== USGENWEB PROJECT NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Project Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file is copyrighted and contributed by: Janet Davidson Hunter ==================================================================== June 2002 FORD CEMETERY NORTHEAST WALKER CO, AL T 12S R 6W S 16 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Directions: The cemetery is located on Blooming Grove Road, approximately one mile north of the intersection of Blooming Grove Road and CR 43. Recorded: Decoration Day, May 20, 2001 and updated May 19, 2002 by Janet Davidson Hunter ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ford Cemetery contains 26 graves with inscripted headstones 21 graves with uninscripted headstones 4 reserved plots ==================================================================== Information on the headstones has been recorded as it appears, with two exceptions. First, a few graves with uninscripted headstones at the time of the 2001 recording have since been changed to a new marble headstone with the inscription "UNKNOWN" but are listed here as originally recorded. Second, the names on double headstones are listed with the surname which is inscripted elsewhere on the stone. Graves with uninscripted headstones are noted in order to better indicate the physical positioning. Information which corrects or clarifies any inscription is noted in parenthesis immediately following the description. Additional genealogical information is included following the headstone transcription. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ According to oral family history, the first grave in this cemetery was the one in the first row marked "UNKNOWN CHILD." This child belonged to a family that was traveling through the area in a covered wagon and had camped closeby. When the child died, the parents asked the Ford family for permission to bury it. From that time, members of the extended Ford family have been buried there. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ *** ROW 1 ***: 6 graves with uninscripted headstones UNKNOWN CHILD *** ROW 2 ***: ___Y J. BOON. BORN MAR. 1879. DIED DEC. 1882. GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. (Note: The top, left corner of the headstone is broken off leaving just the last character of the first name.) 2 graves with uninscripted headstones INFANT SON OF J. W. & ELLEN "PRICE" ESTES 1887 (Note: In 2001, this headstone read "INF. SON OF J.W. ESTES 1877" but was replaced to correct the inaccurate date.) 1 grave with uninscripted headstone JOHN BEST 1851 1900 JOHN J. BEST CO. L. 28 ALA. INF. C.S.A. 1 grave with uninscripted headstone (Note: It is believed that this is the grave of Elizabeth Russell Best, second wife of John J. Best). DAVID BEST AGE 87 Y HANAH BEST AGE 65 Y 1 grave with uninscripted headstone (Note: It is believed that this is the actual grave of Hanah Best whose death would have preceeded that of her husband David.) SARAH JANE FORD A 69 Y 1 grave, possible inscription but no longer legible (Note: It is believed that this is the grave of William C. Ford, husband of Sarah Jane Ford.) RACHEL E. FORD BORN DEC. 28, 1888 DIED JUNE 15, 1914 NONE KNEW THEE BUT TO LOVE THEE. EDITH IALEAN FORD BORN AUG. 15, 1912 DIED JUNE 15, 1914 FROM MOTHERS ARMS TO THE ARMS OF JESUS. JOHN OSCAR FORD BORN MAR. 25, 1890 DIED FEB. 18, 1914 THY MEMORY SHALL EVER BE A GUIDING STAR TO HEAVEN. (Note: This is a triple headstone, including the graves of John Oscar Ford, his wife Rachel and their young daughter.) JOSEPH B. FORD JAN. 6, 1864 OCT. 26, 1925 (Note: The date of Joseph Ford's death is incorrect on the headstone. According to his death certificate and an article in the local newspaper, The Mountain Eagle of Oct, 21, 1925, he actually died on Oct. 18, 1925.) ROOSEVELT BURTON (TED) FORD JAN. 5, 1905 DEC. 17, 1936 ROSALEE ESTES (ROSA) FORD SEPT. 15, 1867 FEB. 26, 1934 CLARA ABELS PEARSON JAN. 22, 1916 FEB. 10, 1975 YOUNG J. PEARSON DEC. 9, 1912 NOV. 12, 1987 *** ROW 3 ***: 2 graves with uninscripted headstones ETHEL ESTES 1895-1926 CLARICE ESTES & INF. SON 1895-1917 INF. DAU. OF FRANK & ETHEL ESTES 1923 4 graves with uninscripted headstones HAROLD RAY ABELS OCT. 7, 1914 JAN. 3, 1915 MAVIS CLARINE ABELS SEPT. 19, 1912 OCT. 8, 1915 JOHN E. ABELS TEC5 US ARMY WORLD WAR II JUL 24 1920 MAR 26 1980 *** ROW 4 ***: 2 graves with uninscripted headstones MIRT C. DAVIDSON MAY 20, 1907 JULY 3, 2001 VAUDIE O. DAVIDSON AUG 21, 1908 AUG 9, 1998 (Note: This is a double headstone, including the graves of Mirt and Vaudie Davidson.) 1 grave with uninscripted headstone (Note: It is believed that this is the grave of an infant child of Mirt and Vaudie Davidson.) W. W. (BUDDY) DAVIDSON DEC. 5, 1930 OCT. 15, 1932 WAYNE E. DAVIDSON MAY 5, 1905 FEB. 11, 1987 ROBERTA H. DAVIDSON DEC. 14, 1910 DEC. 23, 1965 (Note: This is a double headstone, including the graves of Wayne and Roberta Davidson.) *** ROW 5 ***: 4 reserved plots ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ In addition to FORD, surnames found in the cemetery include BEST, ESTES and ABELS. The FORD family moved to Walker County between 1850-1861, and included William C. Ford, his wife Sarah Jane Best Ford and their son. David and Hanah BEST, who are believed to be the parents of Sarah Ford, also settled in Walker County around the same timeframe but it is unclear if they traveled together or if one family joined the other. Joseph B. Ford, a grandson of William and Sarah, married Martha Rosalee ESTES. It was Joseph and Rosa Ford who officially set aside the land for the cemetery. Of their four children who survived into adulthood, three are buried in the cemetery. The forth, Florence Mary Ford married Marion Walker ABELS and they are both buried in Forrest Hill Cemetery in Birmingham, AL. However, many of their children are buried in Ford Cemetery. The following descendant chart shows five generations of the Ford family. Those who are buried at Ford Cemetery are listed in capital letters: WILLIAM C. FORD - SARAH JANE BEST (dau. of DAVID & HANNAH BEST) David Burton (D.B.) Ford - Mary J. Williams JOSEPH B. FORD - MARTHA ROSALEE ESTES . JOHN OSCAR FORD - RACHEL E. BRADEN . . VAUDIE OLIVIA FORD - MIRT C. DAVIDSON . . . INFANT . . EDITH IALEAN FORD . Florence Mary Ford - Marion Walker Abels . . ROBERTA HAZEL ABELS - WAYNE EARL DAVIDSON . . . WAYNE WALKER DAVIDSON . . MAVIS CLARINE ABELS . . HAROLD RAY ABELS . . CLARA EULILA ABELS - YOUNG JERRY PEARSON . . JOHN EDWARD ABELS . . Jimmie Nell Ables . . Billie Jean Abels . . (2 living) . ETTA ETHEL FORD - Franklin E. Estes . . INFANT DAUGHTER . ROOSEVELT BURTON (TED) FORD Sarah L. Ford Mary J. Ford Minerva P. Ford William D. Ford Hannah E. Ford John P. Ford Additional information: DAVID and HANAH BEST are found residing in Haywood Co, NC at the time of the 1850 US Census. Using their ages from that census, the dates of birth for David would be around 1789 and for Hannah around 1799. Using the ages from their headstone and these assumed dates of birth, Hannah probably died first - around 1864. David would have lived until around 1876. These dates should be considered estimates until additional evidence can be found to support them. In addition to Sarah, the Bests are thought to have had several children, including Richard Benedict, Rodmon, John J., Elizabeth and Hannah. WILLIAM and SARAH (BEST) FORD are found in several records, giving a much better picture of their lives. William was born on June 11, 1818 to John T. and Anna Ford of Haywood Co, NC. Based on ages found in several census records, Sarah was born 1823-1825 in SC. William and Sarah were married in Haywood Co on Sept. 22, 1841 and moved to Union Co, GA soon thereafter. Their only child, David Burton (D.B.) Ford, was born there on Oct. 23, 1843. Some time between after 1850 but before 1861, they moved to Walker Co, AL. Although his son was in the Confederate army, William remained a Union loyalist during the Civil War. Following the war, they continued to farm their Homestead land in Walker Co. At the time of their deaths, they appear to have been living with their son in neighboring Winston Co, AL. Sarah died on June 11, 1892 and William on March 9, 1893. WAYNE E. DAVIDSON and MIRT C. DAVIDSON were brothers who married first cousins in the Ford family. They were the sons of Buena Vista (B.V. or Vester) Davidson (1881-1920) and Magelene L. Blackwood (1885-1951), both of Walker Co, AL. Others not shown in the descendant chart: JOHN J. BEST is believed to be the son of David and Hannah Best. According to census records (1850 & 1860 for Walker Co.), he was born 1820-1822, probably in SC. JOHN BEST is believed to be the son of John J. Best. If so, the date of birth on his headstone may be incorrect. The 1860 census lists him as being 1 year old. CLARICE ESTES was the first wife of Franklin Estes, nephew of Martha Rosalee Estes Ford - he was the son of her brother, Julius Wilton Estes. Clarice Vaughn married Franklin Estes around 1916 and died in childbirth the following year. Franklin later married her best friend, Ethel Estes who happened to also be his first cousin. Both Clarice and Ethel are buried in the cemetery. INFANT SON OF J. W. & ELLEN "PRICE" ESTES was the infant of Julius Wilton Estes (Martha Rosalee Estes Ford's brother) and Samantha Ellen Price. ___Y J. BOON was a child whose identity is not currently known. However, it is known that a family headed by Daniel Boon farmed land next to Joseph Ford as early as 1887, so this child may have been a member of that family.