MICHAEL WHITMIRE Sr FAMILY CEMETERY, Pickens County, SC A.K.A. Dacusville, SC Version 2.3, 29-Mar-2004, P149.TXT, P149 **************************************************************** REPRODUCING NOTICE: ------------------- These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, or presentation by any other organization, or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. Jennie Boggs Central, SC, USA Pickens County SC GenWeb Coordinator Pickens County SC GenWeb Homestead http://www.rootsweb.com/~scpicke2/ **************************************************************** DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul Kankula at (visit above website) in May-2003 DATAFILE LAYOUT : Paul Kankula at (visit above website) in May-2003 G.P.S. MAPPING . : Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in May-2003 HISTORY WRITE-UP : Jimmy Hunt at jimhu5@aol.com in Mar-2004 IMAGES ......... : Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in May-2003 LOCATION WRITE-UP: David S. Payne at otime1@yahoo.com in May-2002 Lynda Whitmire Wright at ldw392@aol.com in May-2002 TRANSCRIPTION .. : David S. Payne at otime1@yahoo.com in May 2002 Jimmy Hunt at jimhu5@aol.com in Oct-1993 **************************************************************** CEMETERY LOCATION: ------------------ From downtown Pickens, SC, take Hwy #8 toward Pumpkintown, until you come to a sign that reads Dacusville. This is the junction of Hwy #8 and #186. Turn right onto Hwy #186 going toward Dacusville, going past Hwy #135 and past Nine Forks Baptist Church, which is on the left. 6/10 mile past the Nine Forks Church is Pace Bridge Road. Turn left off Hwy #186 onto Pace Bridge Road, go 8/10 mile to Freeman Bridge Road. Turn right onto Freeman Bridge Road going 5/10 mile to power lines. At power lines there is a short dirt drive on the right side of the road with a chain stretched across. Walk (or drive) up a hill following the power lines to (halfway between the first and ) the second steel tower and cemetery rest on a knoll (in a fence) on the right. The Saluda River and Greenville Co. SC is only a short distance to the right of the cemetery. Latitude N 34 58.845 x Longitude W 82 32.797 CHURCH/CEMETERY HISTORY: ------------------------ History of The Whitmire Family Cemetery by Jimmy Hunt @ JimHu5@AOL.com written down on March 22,2004. The Family Cemetery was started in 1796 When Michael Whitmire Sr. was buried. Burials continued until the burial of Samuel Martin Hunt according to the marked stones. There are several unmarked graves that have sunken in. In 1884 1 acre was officially set aside by Martin Whitmire for a cemetery at the spot where his parents are buried. In 1885 the land around the cemetery changed owners but Susan Hunt by deed in Book ___ pg. ___ retained the 1 acre cemetery. In 1912 in a Deed concerning the surrounding land transferred again the 1 acre was still owned by the family also again in 1913 in another deed. Yearly the Cemetery was cleaned off by Susan Whitmire' s son Wesley Earl Hunt Sr. & his family this continued until 1936 despite the fact everyone thought it was out of the family. after 1936 cleanup was not done on a regular basis. In 1991 I rediscovered the cemetery & with the help of Wesley Earl Hunt Jr.'s sons the large trees & brush was removed. Since 1991 clean up of the Cemetery has been done by Jimmy Hunt @ JimHu5@AOL.com 2003 The idea of starting a effort to preserve & maintain the cemetery was started. TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION NOTES: ------------------------------ a. = age at death b. = date-of-birth d. = date-of-death h. = husband m. = married p. = parents w. = wife Numerous Field-Stone Marked Graves HUNT, (3) Children W., M., believed to be grave of Michael Whitmire (I) WHITMIRE, Mary, b. 27-may-1804 d. 3-aug-1869, h. Michael Whitmire (III) WHITMIRE, Michael (II), b. 8-feb-1765 d. 1-july-1819 WHITMIRE, Michael (III), b. 27-june-1798 d. 17-nov-1872 WHITMIRE, Sarah Latham, b. 24-dec-1795 d. 1-dec-1855, h. Martin Whitmire o----------o Attached is a file of transcriptions from the cemetery as read by JimHu5@AOL.com in 1993 along with revisions taken in 2003 along with some records extracted from the research of Mrs. Sarah Josephine Hunt Hester back in the 1950's. The Whitmire/Hunt Family Cemetery Inscriptions (These were copied down on October 23,1993 except where noted) Jimmy Hunt Note: Many of these tombstones are worn from age & some are broken where possible I used chalk to obtain a reading. When these were written down the cemetery was overgrown with brush After I made many visits & cleaned off the graves It has become very easy to locate & identify the graves. In 1995 a fence was erected around the cemetery however it is possible there maybe more graves on the outside. In 2003 I made a very shocking discovery behind the row that I thought to be the first there was another row of graves however two are marked by a single stone these look like infant graves these were hidden under a thick layer of leaves. Some of this info came from Mrs Sara Josephine Hunt Hester who also worked on the family history. Mrs Hester a descendant lived on this land & she copied down names & dates from the stones during the 1950's -1960's as she saw them. Her sister Mrs. Callie Hunt Williams made a trip with me after the first clean up recalled there was some more stones that we couldn't locate. According to her there was a double marker missing along with a monument that told the Names of Michael & Cath Whitmire & when & where they came from. It was a long rectangular stone that would have made a nice mantle above a fireplace, not accusing no one but Mrs. Williams believed she knew who took it. Newly discovered First Row (left to right) Fieldstone marking two children's graves no writing appears above ground haven't checked below the soil surface Second Row (left to right) Fieldstone no writing adult grave Fieldstone very worn & crumbling away can read a # 7 on the top row as in birth date ?7?? & a # 6 on the bottom row as in ???6 for a death date This was Nancy Christine Whitmire's grave according to what Mrs Hester had copied down. Nancy was the wife of Michael Whitmire Jr. These dates were copied down in 1950's from the stone before the damage occurred Born April 7,1766 Died May 25,1846 (These match what few can be read 2004)-JH. Hand carved stone M. Whitmire was Born Feb 8th 1765 Died July 1st 1819 (This is Michael Whitmire Jr. -JH.) Fieldstone no writing not sure if an adult or child footstone is missing Fieldstone writing was underground (this was read by me after I got down and scraped away 2 to 4 inches of soil -JH.) Infant grave has a footstone W. 1829-1829 Fieldstone writing was under the ground (read by me after scraping away soil from the base -JH.) child's grave W.H.W. 1830-1835 Fieldstone adult grave J.H. (could be John Hunt b. 1787 d. 1829 he was a neighbor he is in my line of descent) Third Row (left to right) Fieldstone adult grave W.W. ( written in what looks to be pencil lead) Note in a photo sent to me in 2004 that was taken in 2003 it read M.W. not sure what's going on here maybe neighborhood children? -JH. Bought Type of Stone Michael Whitmire III. Born June 27,1798 Died Nov. 17,1872 (year is incorrect per probate records should read 1871 verified in 2004 Verse Very hard to read since stone is broken sitting off its base Three score and ten do ? ? ? days and years we see or if ? of more are myth in some four score they will be. (Michael Whitmire III. -JH.) Bought type stone Mary Finlay wife of Michael Whitmire Born May 27,1804 Died August 3,1869 Marker is broken & off its base Verse "She's gone,she left this world of woe for regions of eternal love." Fieldstone adult grave M.W. This is Michael Whitmire IV. who was killed in the civil war Mrs. Hesters research documented the body was returned home for burial. Fieldstone M. 17?? Mrs Hester recorded this was Michael Whitmire Sr. & the dates were 1733 1796 per her writing from what she saw on the stone in 1950's Note In March 2004 no trace of writing remains except for M This stone is some type of sandstone & is very crumbly Hand Carved large stone Sarah Latham wife of Martin Whitmire Born Dec 24,1795 Died Dec. 5,1855 Marker is broken repaired but still off its Base Fieldstone adult grave S.J. dau of J.H. & S.J. Hunt (should read S.C. Hunt engraving error) Died Oct 9,1863 age 8 years Named furnished by Mrs. Callie Hunt Williams & her Sister Mrs. Sara Josephine Hunt Hester who was named after her. (Sara Josephine Hunt 1855-1863) A.L. dau of J.H. & SJ. Hunt (should read J.H. & S.C. Hunt engraving error) Died Dec 28,1872 age 2 years Name Furnished by Mrs. Callie Hunt Williams & Mrs Sara Josephine Hunt Hester (Annie Louisa Hunt 1870-1872) S.M. son of J.H. & S.C. Hunt Died June 17,1880 age 13 years Name furnished by Mrs Callie Hunt Williams (Samuel Martin Hunt 1866-1880) sunken area can tell its a grave no stone unmarked sunken adult grave sunken grave marked by a large round stone no writing Forth Row (left to right) Fieldstone (Triangular obelisk shaped stone -JH.) no writing Fieldstone child grave no writing Fieldstone child grave no writing Fieldstone child grave no writing Mrs Callie Hunt Williams thought this last row was the slave area but this has not been proven (I found no slave records -JH.) Note: After Mrs Sarah Josephine Hunt Hester passed away her sister tried to help me relocate the family history it may still be owned by one of her children, I'm not familiar with them & Mrs Callie Hunt Williams passed away in 2002 at the age of 90