Unnamed Cemetery Inscriptions Screven County, GA Screven County, Georgia Private Cemetery Scott/Poythress/Gross/Mills/Sanders (includes genealogy notes) It is believed that this cemetery is not listed nor inventoried in either of the previous inventories of Screven County cemeteries: "Footprints in the Sands of Time" by Willie Mae Yeomans, a private cemetery supplement to prior D. A. R. cemetery surveys covered in two volumes, 1955-57. Restoration on a portion of this cemetery was begun soon after uncovering the gravestones and this inventory was taken 16 August, 1998. The information below transcribes text from individual tombstones. There is evidence of other graves either unmarked and or with major parts of headstones broken and missing. The Scott stones appear to be granite, were found standing and are reasonably well preserved. The Mills stones, enclosed with a concrete block wall about four feet high, are also granite and well preserved. The Poythress, Sanders and Gross stones appear to be made of molded concrete and show considerable deterioration. Most of these stones apparently toppled over many years ago. They were uncovered by probing in the accumulated leaf mast and humus. These stones are being repaired where broken and are to be replaced on the original sites. Scott Martha Scott Denis Scott November 27, 1813 February 17, 1803 July 24, 1888 June 19, 1874 Rest Mother, rest in Rest Father, rest in quiet sleep, quiet sleep, While friends in Sorrow While friends in Sorrow O’er thee Weep O’er thee Weep [footstone: M. S.] [footstone: D. S.] [single stone] Mary Virginia Scott Martha Ann Scott March 23, 1846 March 10, 1838 January 27, 1921 September 2, 1902 She is safe in She is safe in her Father’s home above her Father’s home above Poythress In Memory In Memory of of John M. Poythress Rhoda E. Poythress Born Born July 26, 1832 March 28, 1828 Died Died October 1, 1866 May 9, 1884 Quiet rest our Quiet rest our Angel Father Angel Mother [footstone: J. M. P.] [footstone: R. E. P.] [following is contemporary granite veteran’s marker placed 16 Aug 1998] JOHN M POYTHRESS PVT CO D 47 GA INF CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY JUL 26 1832 OCT 1 1866 In Memory of J. W. Poythress Born March 21, 1865 Died May 4, 1877 Gross In Memory of William Gross ?/?/1825 ?/?/1886 [note: above from headstone fragments; also, the 1886 is questionable] In Memory of Ann A. Gross March 25, 1825 June 20, 1912 "Asleep in Jesus" Mills The Mills portion of this cemetery is contained in a concrete block wall 4 feet in height built as an outside perimeter to what was the original area enclosed by 6" marble coping 23’ x 25’. This area contains the graves of Stephen B. Mills and his wife Fannie D. Mills, along with what may be inferred (from the text and stone sizes) to be four children lost in infancy. There are no inscriptions other than those shown. [first is double headstone, others single] Stephen B. Mills Fannie D. Mills March 3, 1851 October 3, 1850 January 11, 1900 September 17, 1897 Belle Elizabeth daughter of daughter of S. B. & Fannie Mills S. B. & Fannie Mills Sallie Francis daughter of son of S. B. & Fannie Mills S. B. & Francis Mills Sanders In my Father’s House are Many Mansions Hattie Sanders October 31, 1869 April 16, 1903 "At Rest" Infant of D. W. & Hattie Sanders Apr 13, 1903 Apr 13, 1903 "Our Little Daughter" Genealogy notes on individuals interred: Scott Dennis Scott was the son of James Scott b.1760-1770 d. 1832 m.1 Sarah Brunson, m.2 Clarissa Harden, m.3 Temperence Rawls). After the death of James Scott, Temperence m.2 7 Nov 1833 Lewis Powell. Son Dennis Scott married Martha Gross 13 Sep 1833. Martha (Gross) Scott (1813-1888) was the daughter of William Gross who m. Harriet Burns ca 1814. Martha Ann Scott and Mary Virginia Scott (sisters) were unmarried daughters of Dennis Scott and Martha (Gross) Scott. Poythress John Maner Poythress was the son of Meredith Poythress, Jr. m.2 Susan R. Maner. Contemporaneous material states that John Poythress died in 1866 of yellow fever contracted in the War for Southern Independence. Rhoda E. (Gross) Poythress was the daughter of William H. Gross and his wife, Harriet Burns Gross (d. 1849). Rhoda Gross married John Maner Poythress on 5 Apr 1854. A son born after the death of his father John Maner Poythress, Horace Cullen Poythress (1867-1918) m.2 Flossie O. Wells (1878-1914). Both are buried at McBride Methodist Church Cemetery. At the present time (1998) a Poythress/Wells family reunion has been held continuously in Sylvania for over 50 years. In recent years the site has been the Meeting Room of McBride Methodist Church. Included in this group are many representatives of the historic Screven County families of Bazemore, Reddick, Austin, Godbie and Poythress. The grave of J. W. Poythress is that of John Willie Poythress, a son of John Maner and Rhoda (Gross) Poythress who died in childhood. Gross William Gross (1825-18??) is very tentatively presumed to be a brother of Rhoda Gross. Ann A. Gross is an unmarried sister of Rhoda Gross. Records indicate that the tomb of Kissiah Gross, another unmarried sister, is also supposed to be in this cemetery. Her headstone was not located. Mills Stephen B. Mills would very likely be the son of Stephen Mills II. Stephen Mills II was the son of Stephen Mills, Sr. and Sarah Kemp (the daughter of Solomon and Sarah (Freeman) Kemp (m. 15 Sep 1825). This Stephen B. Mills married 1.Frances Scott 8 Dec 1868, shown on her tombstone as Fannie D. Mills and married 2.Florence Brunson. None of the names on the four infant graves in this cemetery agree with any of the ten children of Stephen B. Mills and Frances Scott Mills as listed in the History of Screven County, Georgia (pg. 226). Perhaps the case is that the SCoGaH author did not have access to the names of the four children who died in infancy. Sanders Hattie Poythress Sanders is the daughter of Daniel W. Poythress and Laura (Scott) Poythress. Hattie Poythress m. David W. Sanders, Jr. (b. 1874) on 26 April 1900. The gravestone of their infant daughter (b. and d. 13 April 1903) would suggest that Hattie Sanders Poythress’ death three days later resulted from complications of childbirth. Restoration of cemetery by Donald L. Bazemore Write-up by: John M. Poythress Donald L. Bazemore and John M. Poythress are respectively the great- great grandson and great grandson of John Maner Poythress. Corrections or additions to this material are welcomed; please contact: John M. Poythress 2903 Glen Hill Court Louisville, KY 40222-6159 e-mail: vkratliff@aol.com Date 18 February, 1999 USGS 7.5’ Topo Jacksonboro Bridge Quadrangle (N32-47-27xW81-35-45) ==================================================================== USGENWEB 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. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: John M. Poythress vkratliff@aol.com ====================================================================