Iles Cemetery, Rapides Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Jane Parker McManus

**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************

ILES CEMETERY - Rapides Parish
(Also known as Ashton-Hills Cemetery)

Directions:  From Alexandria, go south on US Hwy. 165 to Woodworth.  Turn
right at the blinking light (Parish Road 287, Castor Plunge Road), and
continue past the Alexandria Water storage tanks.  Turn right onto Forest
Road 212 and continue a short distance to pass Forest Road 212-B.  Turn
right at White Rock Road (unmarked).  At the first fork, bear to the left;
at the second fork, bear to the right.  At the end of this road, a hill can
be seen off to the right.  On top of the hill is a small fenced cemetery.
The road is rough, but passable in dry weather.  Tombstone inscriptions were
recorded by Mary Parker Partain, September 1993.

The following history was provided by Larry Gates of Baton Rouge, a descent
of Demcy Iles.

History:  This cemetery has approximately 20 or more unmarked graves
scattered around on about two acres or more of the hill.  Originally there
were several cypress markers in the cemetery, but today only one remains.
Marie Iles, a descendant of Demcy and Susan B. Iles located this cemetery in
the 1970's.  She soon erected markers to Demcy and Susan (Bickham) Iles
within the cemetery ground.  Mr. Townley believes that Marie may have also
been responsible for the fence.

This cemetery is known to contain the remains of the Iles family, and
probably their neighbors according to a descendant of one of the Iles slaves
(being around 100 years of age in the 1970's) who attended several burials
here between 1880 and 1900.  There were two fenced sections for each group
(fenced separately, one for Whites and one for Blacks).  Until Keenan Iles
was buried here in 1993, there were no known burials in the cemetery after
1905.

Iles, Susan Bickham, wife of Demcy Iles - 12 Mar 1829 / 8 Jan 1869
Iles, Demcy - 1 Jan 1821 / 19 Sep 1896, Sgt. Co. G 2nd Regt. LA Cav. CSA
Iles, Keener - 11 Mar 1938 / 18 Jun 1993

[unreadable cypress marker - no information]
[small piece of cypress marker and a depression - no information]

[Note:  These five burials are in a row in the rectangular shaped enclosure,
just large enough for five graves.  Susan Iles' grave is first, just inside
the gate of the hurricane-fenced yard.  Behind the enclosure, I saw as many
as a dozen, obvious depressions nearby.  No other signs of stones or cypress
markers were evident.  MPP]

The following additional information provided by Larry Gates in 1993:
Keener Iles died in Tennessee, but had requested that his body be cremated
and ashes brought back to the little family cemetery on the hill.  This was
done, and burial was made 14 August 1993.  He was the son of Frank and
Zipporah Iles.

Other known burials, possibly in the unmarked graves were identified by
Larry Gates:

Iles, Franklin, son of Demcy & Susan B. Iles - 12 Nov 1859 / 7 Nov 1862
Iles, Jesse, son of Demcy & Susan B. Iles - 20 Feb 1847 / before 2 Jul 1904
Iles, Emma Crosby, wife of Jesse Iles - died between 1875 & 1880
     Mother of Susan Iles Haworth

Haygood, Gertrude Haworth - 18 Sep 1886 / 7 May 1895
     Daughter of Samuel & Louisa Iles Haygood
Haygood, Infant of Samuel Brown Haygood & Susan Louisa Iles - no dates

Iles, Rhoda & Sarah, Infants of Marion & Florence Cole Iles - no dates