McGehee Family Cemetery Inscriptions Putnam County, GA


I was working in a very rural area in Putnam County Georgia on June 2,
1992, when I literally stumbled across an ancient family cemetary, with
four markers. I struggled to climb into the old iron enclosure and
cleaned some of the overgrowth enough to count the stones and with an
old rotten stick, rubbed the engravings to the point I could read them.

There may be more graves in the enclosure, but they were unmarked. 
These four have large, marble stones.  They are apparently a family,
husband, wife and two children.  The following are copied EXACTLY as I
found them, to the punctuation and placement of the lettering:


Grave 1:
Sacred
to the Memory of
MARY GREENE
daughter of  Micajah Johns:
who was born March 1777
and was married to James McGehee
in her 19th year,
and to the Rev. Myles Greene
in her 58th year,
and died Oct. 1st, 1849
in her 73rd year.
----------------
grave 2:
Sacred
to the Memory of
JAMES McGEHEE
Son of
James and Mary McGehee
who was born
October 17th, 1801
and died March the 5th, 1829
------------------------------
grave 3:
Sacred
to the Memory of
MARY ANN McGEHEE
Daughter of
James and Mary McGehee
who was born
May the 23rd, 1816
and died August 19th, 1828
----------------------------
grave 4:
Sacred
to the Memory of
JAMES McGEHEE
Son of
Micajah & Nancy McGehee
who was born Nov. 26th, 1770
and died May 16th, 1826
AGED 55 YEARS, 5 MONTHS, & 21 DAYS
------------------------------------------------


1998 Update: 

The graves are located on land owned by some big development outfit who 
has built a golf course, and is selling luxury homesites on the property.
They were cooperative about allowing me to go into the area to see the 
graves again, but anyone who wishes to do so must obtain permission 
first, as the entrance is now gated with a security guard. According to 
Georgia law, no one can be refused reasonable periodic visitational 
access to family cemetery sites, even if they are on private property.

I live about 60 miles north of this site. If someone is seriously 
interested, I would be willing to go down there and take some pictures
or whatever. In any case, I would have to show such a person where
the graves are, as they are not at all easy to find, and even if one
drove practically right by the section of woods where they are, one
would never see them. That area of the property is heavily overgrown
and not currently under development.

Now it would certainly be nice for the McGehee family if a few of them 
would come forward and go down there and clear the site a bit and replace 
the stone markers which have been moved about by both man and nature.  
These are extremely heavy, horizontal markers, perhaps 3 feet wide by 
7 feet long, and about 5 inches thick.  There are four and they have all 
been knocked of their supports and one has been broken by a huge fallen 
tree. It would require several strong persons to restore them to their 
correct positions.  A group of about five people would be ideal, with a 
weedeater, gloves, pruning shears, and perhaps a portable welding setup 
to repair the damaged fence enclosure.  THe original gate has long ago 
been lost, persumably to vandals, who also stole several of the original
decorations from the iron fence.  It seems shameful that these graves
are about to perish, now that the family is aware of their existence.  I
will be happy to guide interested parties to the site, and even pitch in
to help in an organized cleanup effort.  

Reginald Smith (Reg)
196 University Circle
Athens, Georgia 30605
706-543-1920
email: rsmith@athens.net


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         This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb
	 Archives by:  Colleen McGhee
                       cm27@cornell.edu
   			     and
		       Reginald Smith (Reg)
                       rsmith@athens.net
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