Stuart Cemetery

STUART CEMETARY
Henderson County, NC
DIRECTIONS: From Hendersonville, NC take route 191 N. towards Asheville, but after several miles, and crossing the Mills River, go left (west) on North Mills River Road.  This follows the north fork of Mills River.  Go about 4 miles.  Take a right on Dave Whitaker Road – #1346.  Drive about a quarter to half mile and take a left on Rose Cove Road (unnumbered, but marked with state sign).  This gravel road drives right through Howard McElrath’s farm and property.  Get permission at the fenced house on the right from Mr. McElrath.  The road that goes directly between the outbuildings and up the mountain leads to the cemetary, but have Mr McElrath explain it.
LATITUDE/LONGITUDE: 352422N 823806W (Per USGS)
FIELD NOTES: The Stuart cemetary, according to Howard McElrath (78 yrs old), is called locally “Shanghai Cemetary” though no one in recent memory can recall why.  It is positioned at the entrance to the valley where the Seniard (pronounced “Singer”) creek flows and, again according to McElrath, the Seniards were the first settlers of this valley and were French Huguenots, though he wasn’t quite sure what that meant.  They were here before the Civil War.  The cemetary is fairly well kept up and a 4-wheel drive could get to it easily.  Howard’s wife who is from the mountains north, decided to be buried there because she loved the mountains and hers is the most modern stone in the cemetary.  What Howard refers to as “Soapstone” I normally call “Greenstone” but here I will refer to as simply “native stone”.
SURNAME LIST: DUCKETT, FLETCHER, MCELRATH, MOORE, REEVES, ROSE, STUART, TAYLOR,
UNDERWOOD, WRIGHT.

1.  Jessie Wallin McElrath
Nov 9 1917
Dec 1 1991
Mother and Grandmother
[This is Howard’s wife who died in a car crash]
2.  YANKY ROSE
[Native stone.  The name has been scratched in somewhat crudely, but since it took some time to do this it is probably not vandalism.  The back of this native stone is split and only the right hand is partly legible – available as a .JPG file]
_____________
|XXXXXX mory  |
|XXXXXX            |
|XXXXXX   E      |
|XXXXX 5 1804 |
|XXXXX 05 ds    |
———————-
3.  Mrs Rebecca Rose
[Native stone, somewhat worked.  There is the faintest of writing on the back, and it is regularly spaced.  Unfortunately it is undecipherable.]
4.  Bill Rose
[This is non-native stone and worked into the shape of a cross.  No dates given]
5. Della R. Underwood
1881 – 1976
[There is no stone at all, just the plaquard that the funeral home provides in aluminum]
6. [Native stone, shaped but unmarked]
7. M E S [Native stone with unreadable markings.]
8. – 9 [Native stone, unmarked]
10 – 12  [Native stone, unmarked with footstone]
13. In Memory Of
George W.
Son Of
John & Sarah Moore
Born
June 27 1861;
Died
Nov 3, 1880
“Not Lost But Gone Before”
[Non-native stone]
14. Julius L.
Son Of
J.H.S. Moore
Born
Nov 18, 1851
Died
Oct 20, 1869
Aged 11y  11m 2da
[Footstone “J L M ”, non-native stone]
15. In Memory
C. A. Fletcher
Daughter of D. Williams [This could also be Williahs]
Wife of A.C. Fletcher
Born Feb 20, 1838
Died Nov 13, 1892
[Footstone C.A.F., non-native stone]
16. Memory of
Julia Fletcher
Daughter of A.C. & C.A.
Fletcher
Born Jan 2, 1881
Died Dec 9, 1881
[Footstone unmarked, non-native stone]
17. Neuman Stuart
Apr 22, 1877
Apr 29, 1891
“At Rest”
[Footstone unmarked, non-native stone]
18. Rachael P. Stuart
Wife of
W.M. Wright
Jan 28, 1846
Apr 20, 1920
“Faithful to her trust
Even unto death”
[Non-native stone]
19. Melvin M. Stuart
Born 1846
Died Oct. 5, 1921
[Footstone M M S, non-native stone]
20. In Memory Of
Infant Child
of David
And Manerva/
E. Taylor
[This is native stone, but very well worked and matching the shape of the small footstone]
21. In Memory Of
Manervia E.
Stuart
Wife of
David Taylor
Born
May 5 1850
Died
July 22 1875
Age 25yrs  2mo  17ds 
[Footstone M E S, non-native stone.  Also, I am aware of the discrepency between the spelling of her name on her stone and the stone of her child.  Copied exactly as seen.]
22. In Memory Of
Mary M. Stuart
Born
Nov 4, 1835
Died
May 10, 1875
Age 39yrs 6mo 4ds
[Non-native stone]
23. Leah S. Stuart
Born
Nov 17 1842
Died
May 7 1872
Age 29 yrs 5mo 21ds
[Non-native stone]
24. In Memory Of
Margaret C. Stuart
Born Dec 25 1855
Died
June 5 1875
Age 19yrs 5mo 10ds
[Non-native stone]
25. In Memory Of
Lois J. Stuart
Wife of
S.P. SA
Born Dec 25 1855
Died Aug 21 1888
Age 25yrs 17mo 27ds
[Non-native stone]
26. Sacred to the Memory of
Isam P. Stuart
Born
Sep 5, 1804
Died
Mar 1, 1888
Age 83yr 6mo 5ds
27. Sacred to the Memory of
Serenia T.
Wife of I.P. Stuart
Born
Feb 10, 1815
Died
Apr 15, 1887
Age 72yr 2mo 5ds
[Non-native stone]
28. Ellar.
Daughter of
J.L. & S.A.
     Reeves
Sep 21 1885
Feb 22 1888
[Non-native stone]
29. Selena A.
Wife of
J. L. Reeves
July 9 1850
Feb 22 1890
[Non-native stone]
30.  Jackson L. Reeves
Co A.
IBN NC
Jr. RES
C.S.A.
31. Ann Duckett
Born July 5, 1845
Died Nov 24 1874
Aged 29y 4m 3d
[Native stone, extremely well-worked.  The wording is still legible and the shape is a triangular top that is copied even in the footstone.]
32 – 33 [Native stone, unmarked with footstones]
34. Pinkney T.
Son of
I.H. MA. SELW [Unclear]
Born Jan 13 1863
Died Jan 26
13 days
[Native stone, well-worked.]
35 – 38 [Native stone, unmarked with footstones]
39 – [Unmarked. This is a mill-stone with the hole in the middle squared off to form a marking-stone.  According to Howard McElrath, the “4 or 5 unmarked graves in the bottom corner (probably 35-39) are unmarked graves of negro slaves, owned by Isam P. Stuart.
[Researcher’s note:  According to Howard McElrath, it was Melvin M. Stuart (#19) who bought  or had placed most of the earlier stones.  

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