MADISON, TN - CEMETERIES - Big Springs Cemetery (black section)
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David Donahue, the creator of this file, declares it to be in the public 
domain.
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BIG SPRINGS CEMETERY
(Black Section)
Madison County, Tennessee

            Big Springs Cemetery is located about 4 miles east 
of Pinson, Tennessee on the south side of Ozier Road. It 
adjoins the white cemetery for Big Springs Methodist Church. 
White burials are along a the crest line of a low hill and on 
the north and west slopes, while black brials are on the south 
slope. The burials at Big Springs are laid out on the 
traditional east-west axis, but the southern fence/property 
line runs in a northeast-southwest direction. The division 
between the black and white sections is an imaginary line a 
bit north of parallel with the fence line and running the full 
length of the cemetery. There are hundreds of unmarked black 
burials here, and the south slope of the cemetery is full. So 
far the problem of reuse of space seems to have been avoided 
in the black portion of the cemetery. In November 2003 Mercer 
Brothers Funeral Home buried Ezell Green north of the 
imaginary line in a small area free of unmarked burials.

            David Donahue recorded this cemetery November 14, 
2003 based on earlier work by Jonathan K. T. Smith. Updated 
February 4, 2004. Jonathan K. T. Smith recorded the black 
section of Big Springs Cemetery in 1995. It appears in his 
Tombstone Inscriptions from Black Cemeteries in Madison 
County, Tennessee. This is referred to as Smith in notes 
below.

 

Allen, Helen [see Croom, Helen Allen]

Ballard, Bertha [see Collier, Bertha Ballard]

Ballard, Clyde W., Feb. 12, 1921-Mar. 19, 1950, military 
marker "Tennessee Pvt 1447 Svc Comd Unit World War Ii

Ballard, John W., Apr. 16, 1863-Jan. 18, 1949

Ballard, Lena M., 1907-1958

Ballard, Ludie [see Cason, Ludie Ballard]

Ballard, Vesta C., July 2, 1897-May 14, 1986

Bradford, Silas, Jr., Sept. 14, 1915-July 4, 1951, military 
marker "Tennessee MA3 US Navy"

Bray, Nora, Aug. 28, 1885-Sept. 2, 1904, "Dau. of Bob Bray"

Butler, Lowell C., d. Sept. 7, 1933, "A-C-Ford" (homemade)

Cason, Leslie, July 18, 1894-Dec. 18, 1945, military marker 
"Tennessee Pvt 302 Pioneer Inf World War I"

Cason, Ludie Ballard, 1891-July 19, 1923, "Mother" 
[replacement]

Chaney, James L., Dec. 6, 1920-July 11, 1996, temporary 
marker, Cosmopolitan Funeral Services, Dyersburg, Tennessee, 
mounted on a wooden cross which has sunken several feet into 
grave

Cobb, Nathan N., Feb. 20, 1911-Feb. 12, 2003

Collier, Albert W., Sep. 25, 1919-Dec. 14, 1975, military 
marker "US Army World War II"

Collier, Bertha Ballard, Aug. 7, 1895-May 3, 1933, "Wife of 
Guthrie Collier"

Collier, Clate A., Jan. 12, 1914-Mar. 2, 1996, military marker 
"PFC US Army World War II"

Collier, George, Sr., 1829-1903, "Husband of Martha Collier"

Collier, Guthrie S., Mar. 16, 1881-Apr. 8, 1973

Collier, James C., 1920-1996, also temporary marker, Bledsoe 
Funeral Home, Apr. 25, 1925-June 2, 1996, Age 71 Yrs.
Collier, Zelma Grimes, 1920-2000; also temporary marker, 
Bledsoe Funeral Home, Mrs. Zelma Lorene Collier, Dec. 15, 
1920-Aug. 27, 2000

Collier, John Rufus, Nov. 30, 1910-July 16, 1991 [not found in 
2003; reported by Smith in 1995]

Collier, Louise, Mar. 14, 1909-Jan. 24, 1970, "Mother"

Collier, Martha C., Dec. 10, 1824-July 19, 1873, "Wife of 
George Collier"

Collier, Mary I., July 1, 1864-May 12, 1879, "Dau. of Martha & 
George Collier" (broken) [broken marker with only dates 
remaining; other information as reported by McNatt et al.]

Collier, Pauline, May 6, 1910-Aug. 10, 1986

Collier, Rollie Lee, Jan. 12, 1917-Oct. 26, 1981, military 
marker "Pvt Us Army World War II"

Collier, Tennessee, Mar 16, 1860-Jan. 1, 1877, "Dau. of G. & 
M. Collier"

Collier, William C., Jan. 31, 1858-June 16, 1872, "Son of 
George & Martha Collier"

Collier, Willie Frances, May 16, 1929-May 1, 1929, "Dau."

Collier, Willie Mae F., Mrs., Oct. 28, 1911-Mar. 23, 1992, 
temporary marker, Bledsoe Funeral Home, found loose in 2003 
approx. 5 yards southwest of marker for Louise Collier

Croom, Effie Mae, Mrs., July 31, 1911-March 14, 2000, 
temporary marker, Stephenson-Shaw, 5 yards north of military 
marker for Clate A. Croom and just north of two mostly 
unreadable homemade markers

Croom, Helen Allen, Aug. 30, 1903-Jan. 8, 1987 (homemade) 
[almost unreadable in 2003; 4 yards north of military marker 
for Clate A. Collier]

DePriest, Brown, Aug. 20, 1911-Mar. 8, 1963, military marker 
"West Virginia S1 USNR World War II"

Gill, Lessie B., July 8, 1919-June 12, 1962 (improperly 
mounted) [death date buried in 2003; death date shown is that 
reported by Smith in 1995]

Godwin, Homer, Jr., Aug. 1, 1946-Aug. 14, 1948

Grimes, Zelma [see Collier, Zelma Grimes

Green, Ezell, d. Nov. 24, 2003, temporary marker, Mercer 
Brothers Funeral Home, about 12 yards south of marker for 
Willie Frank Moore [this burial is north of the imaginary line 
described in introduction]

Harden, Addie Pearl Thomas, Feb. 5, 1925-Sept. 18, 1994

Hart, E. C., Oct. 8, 1863-Oct. 17, 1916, "She is at peace"

Hart, Emmer Susan, Jan. 30, 1933 [replacement; infant-size 
grave]

Hart, M. D. L., Jan. 12, 1835-Feb. 18, 1913, "He is at rest"

Hart, Mary C., Nov. 5, 1895-Jan. 31, 1933, "Wife of R. L. 
Hart"

Helms, Della Sue, Oct. 8, 1939-Jan. 16, 1988

Hopper, Elvis G., Apr. 22, 1917-Dec. 18, 1918 [replacement]

Hopper, J. L., Oct. 6, 1915-Nov. 28, 1935 [replacement]

Hopper, O. F., Oct. 18, 1888-May 25, 1961
Hopper, Cordelia, June 17, 1892-Nov. 10, 1965, Together 
Forever

Jones, Lawger G., Jan. 8, 1918-Jan. 15, 1947, military marker 
"Tennessee Tec 5 386 QM Truck Co World War II"

Jones, Mary, Mar 1, 1898-May 27, 1960

Jones, Ola V., May 9, 1919-Jan. 8, 1992
Jones, Wilber Jones, Dec. 21, 1919-July 28, 1994

Lancaster, Lorenzo, Husband, 1901-1966

Moore, W. R., Feb. 12, 1934-Mar. 22, 1934 (homemade)

Owens, Eddie Nolan, July 12, 1894-May 26, 1972, "Son"
Owens, Bill, 1860-Feb. 26, 1940, "Father"

Pack, J. D., Sr, d. Aug. 1, 1989, Age 70, temporary marker, 
Stephenson-Shaw Funeral Home [not found in 2003; reported by 
Smith in 1995]

Pack, Joel, June 23, 1952-Mar. 10, 1964

Pack, Wayne Collier, July 1, 1939-Feb. 27, 1992

Parker, Mercie T., Nov. 3, 1906-June 15, 1985, "Our beloved 
mother and wife"

Polk, Edna Lucille, June 3, 1948-Nov. 20, 1998, "In loving 
memory of my sister" "Daughters-Latonya & Latasha" "Grandchild 
Tatyanana"

Steele, Daniel Claybourne "Danny", Sept. 14, 1952-Oct. 24, 
1994, "Children-Quincy-April-Ashley"

Taylor, James David Mark, 1858-1892 [replacement]

Thomas, Addie Pearl [see Harden, Addie Pearl Thomas]

Thomas, Carrie Bell, June 1, 1890(?)-July 31, 1986 [not found 
in 2003; reported by Smith in 1995]

Thomas, Eugene Calvin Rufus, Jan. 17, 1875-May 9, 1962

Thomas, Nola Mae, June 13, 1905-Jan. L, 1988

Thomas, Rossie, 1904-1964, "Father"

Woodson, Luke, Aug. 2, 1879-Feb. 3, 1957
Woodson, Cassie, June 14, 1881-July 29, 1974

Wray, W. P., no dates, "Son" (homemade)

 

Black or White? Some Other Markers

Jonathan Smith lists the row of Andrews and Hemby markers as 
part of the black section of Big Springs Cemetery. However, 
they are north of the imaginary line separating the black and 
white sections. For this and other reasons, I think these 
people are white. - David Donahue, November 2003

 

Andrews, Hexie, Jan. 6, 1906-Apr. 14, 1972

Andrews, Pierce, Apr. 19, 1907-Feb. 28, 1976

Hemby, Bob, 1877-1948, "Father"

Hemby, Demmie, Mr., Jan. 13, 1910-July 10, 1979 (homemade)

Hemby, Eva, July 12, 1910-Nov. 15, 2002 (homemade)

Hemby, Johnnie, 1903-1962

Hemby, Mollie, May 1, 1881-Aug. 29, 1964, "Mother"