PITTSYLVANIA CO., VA - CEMETERIES – Old Dillard Cemetery

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Source: Library of Virginia Digital Collection


LVA Titled Files: Survey Report, Old Dillard cemetery:
                  1936 July 31
                  Research made by Mrs. Mamie M. Ritter

Cemetery Location:  1 mile north of Gretna, Virginia, on Route #29, .5 mile east 
                    of road.
                    Pittsylvania Co., Virginia


DATE:

1824.

OWNERS:

[blank]

DESCRIPTION:

This is an old family burial ground surrounded by an old rock wall.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

Inscriptions on markers are as follows:


Sacred to the memory of
John M. Dillard
Who was born July 19, 1818
and died 30th June 1839
Aged 20 years, 11 months & 11 days.
To this sad shrine, who are thou art draw near
Here lies the friend most loved, the son most dear
Who ne’er knew joy, but friendship might divide
Nor gave his father grief, but when he died,
How vain is reason, eloquence how weak
If I must write what Dillard cannot speak
Oh, let thy once loved friend inscribe thy stone
And with a fathers sorrow, mix his own.


In Memory of
Mildred Dillard
For her Benevolence
Friendship and Industry
Not to be excelled, She
lived virtuous, and
Died beloved.
Jan. 3rd, 1824
aged 30 years, 4 mos. and 13 days

Mildred Dillard was the wife of Dr. Lynch Dillard.   She met such a tragic
death.  I will mention here the facts as told me today by her great-niece Miss 
Minnie Dillard.  At the time of her death she was the young mother of seven 
children during the night she was awakened by the crying of her baby who was 
sleeping on the other side of the room from her, and she got up without lighting 
a taper and started across the room to the baby and in the darkness she fell 
across a broken chair, one of the spokes in the back of the Windsor chair struck 
her in the eye.  When some one found her she told them her eye was hurt, the 
person replied “your eye looks all right”, she replied, “I put it back, it was 
out on my cheek.”  She died three days later from  inflammation of the eye.


Dr. Lynch Dillard is buried in this cemetery, by the side of his wife, but there 
is no stone over their graves.


SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

Informant:  Miss Minnie Dillard, Gretna, Virginia

Tombstone Inscriptions

Visit by worker.

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	This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives 
	by:  Joan Renfrow

	NOTICE:  I have no relationship or further information in 
	regards to this family.
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