Smith Cemetery at Lake Vernon - Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Jane McManus



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Take LA Hwy. 8 from Leesville toward Burr Ferry, and turn right onto Camp 
Baker Road. Go approximately .1 mile and turn right onto dirt/gravel road.  
Continue on this road until you reach Lake Vernon. This small cemetery was 
located to the right of a house on the left side of the road.

In the early 1900's, this small cemetery was located across the creek from 
the John Smith homestead, in a beautiful grove of trees. It was fenced and 
lovingly maintained by family members. When the Smith family died out 
(children married and moved away), the cemetery was left behind unattended 
and unloved. The property sold at a later date as part of lakefront property.  
The new owners did not like the idea of a cemetery on their property and at 
first attempted to move the tombstones. When that failed, they ignored the 
small plot, and it soon fell into disrepair. Today it is overgrown with weeds, 
the fence has collapsed, and there are only a few small metal markers on top 
of concrete buried under weeds.

Ruby Perkins of Leesville located this cemetery for us, and provided birth and 
death dates for her grandparents, John & Mary Smith. Ruby was told by another 
family member that Mary Jane (Franklin) Smith's mother (Mary Franklin) was also 
buried here, but no proof of that has been found.  
Recorded by Jane P. McManus 11 Mar 1996, and submitted 10 October 2000.

Smith, Emmet R. - 10 Feb 1917/17 Dec 1918
        [footstone:  Emmit Smith - 11/1917 - 12/1918]


Smith, J.[John] R. - [small metal plate - no dates]
        [John was born Feb 1849 AL/ died 16 Feb 1931]


Smith, Mary Jane [Franklin], wife of J. R. Smith - 26 May 1852/27 Nov 1916


Rush Infant - [small metal plate - no dates]
Rush Infant - [small metal plate - no dates]
Rush Infant - [small metal plate - no dates]


[unmarked burial - no information]


Sales Infant - [small metal plate - no dates]


Daley Infant - [small metal plate - no dates]