Grice-Woods Cemetery

 

Locality: Roanoke County                  Temporal Period:                  4^th quarter 19^th c. – 20^th c.

Realty Map:          85.04-1-1                                Cultural Affiliation:              Euro-American

USGS Map:           Bent Mountain                     Landform:                              Ridge top

Grid Locus:            F-5                                          Elevation:                              1480 feet

UTM Easting:       582580                                    Aspect:                                  Flat

UTM Northing:    4118580

 

Site Dimensions:  40 by 47 feet

 

Survey Description:  Site consists of a small family cemetery with at least 15 graves.  Observed graves included 12 marked with marble or granite headstones, two marked with metal plates attached to a cement headstone, and one marked with a dislodged metal marker.  A chain link fence that measured approximately 30 by 40 feet enclosed nine graves.  At least six additional graves were observed outside the fence along the north part of the cemetery.  These graves were clustered in an area about 17 by 30 feet in size.  Other graves may be present in this part of the cemetery.  No historic plantings were observed in the cemetery.  Site appeared to have been cleared and maintained in the past, but is now covered with weeds, scrub brush, and saplings.  A small refuse area was observed near the northeast corner of the cemetery.  One uninscribed fieldstone marker and one cement marker were observed lying among the refuse.  These may be discarded stones that were replaced by newer markers, or they may represent markers dislodged from two other graves in the cemetery.  Site was field inspected, photographed, and grave marker inscriptions were transcribed and compared to previous documentation.  Site size was estimated by pacing the horizontal extent of the observed graves.

 

Survey Date:         7/98

 

Field Notes:           _x_Yes   ___No

Photographs:        _x_Yes   ___No

 

References:           Roanoke Valley Historical Society

1986        Roanoke County Graveyards Through 1920.  Privately printed, RVHS, Roanoke.

 

Additional Comments:        Assigned temporal period was based on the 1880 through 1958 range of death dates inscribed on observed headstones.  However, the presence of an uninscribed fieldstone marker and a cement marker may reflect an earlier or later use of the site.  The cemetery is marked on the USGS Bent Mountain map sheet and labeled the “Woods Cem.”  However, the cemetery is not marked on local realty maps.

 

The RVHS surveyed this cemetery and documented biographical information derived from inscriptions from eight headstones that predated 1920 (1986:  128).  The cemetery was described as “cleared, fenced and cared for, with some graves outside the fence.”  All of the headstones observed by the RVHS was also observed during the 1998 survey.

Grice-Woods Cemetery (continued)

 

Marker Inscriptions:

 

Samuel Grice                                         Ocoee O. Bohon                                   Dell K. Grice

Dec. 24, 1837                                         Born                                                       Born

Feb. 26, 1911.                                        June 5, 1884,                                          Mar. 3, 1865,

___________                                      Died                                                        Died

Sarah Ellen Grice                                  Apr. 29, 1905.                                        Jan. 17, 1880.

His wife                                                  Darling, Ocoee, she                             Thy gentle voice is hushed

Dec. 12, 1840,                                        has left us,                                             Thy warm true heart’s stilled

Nov. 26, 1918.                                       Left us, yes, farewell.

 

Samuel T. Grice                                     Andrew M. Grice                                  Bobby Lee Henry

Born                                                       Born                                                       1839 - 1939

Feb. 25, 1876                                         Dec. 18, 1883                                         (metal marker mounted

Died Jan. 14., 1895                                Died                                                        in cement base)

Thy hands are clasped upon             Oct. 11, 1904

They breast,

We have kissed thy lovely brow.

 

Emma Irene                                            Samuel Burnette                                   Hedge H.

Born                                                       Born Sept 5  1844                 Woods

Apr. 25, 1899                                         Died May 1  1950                                 Va.

Died                                                        Age 66 years                                         PFC 645  TD BN

Apr. 27, 1900_____                             (stamped metal plate                            World War II

Willie                                                      mounted in cement)                             April 4  1923

Born & Died                                                                                                          November 19  1948

Apr. 25, 1899_____

Children of                                                            Woods

S.W. & P.B.                                           Clarence                 Mary F.

Chamberlin                                            1888 – 1955            1888 - ____

Two little angels

Now on high                                         Walter J. Reynolds

They hand in hand                              1897 - 1956

Together roam.                                     (dislodged metal marker)

 

Posie

Lester

Stover

Va.

PVT

558 Casual Co.

World War I

May 8  1890.

November 14, 1958

 

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