Owens Cemetery

Owens Cemetery

 

Locality: Roanoke County                  Temporal Period:                  4th quarter 19th c., 20th century

Realty Map:          73.00-1-63                              Cultural Affiliation:              Euro-American

USGS Map:           Elliston                                   Landform:                              Ridge bench

Grid Locus:            I-3                                           Elevation:                              1500 feet

UTM Easting:       574930                                    Aspect:                                  South

UTM Northing:    4120400

 

Site Dimensions:  45 by 50 feet

 

Survey Description:  Site consists of a small family cemetery with 19 graves.  The observed graves included eight with uninscribed fieldstone markers, six with marble or granite markers, three with cement markers, one with an illegible metal marker, and one unmarked grave identifiable as a ground surface depression.  The observed graves ranged in orientation from 90 to 101 degrees east of north and well enclosed by a chain link fence.  Cemetery is covered with mowed grass and plantings include periwinkle, boxwood, daylilies, and peonies.  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 surrounding fence lines.

 

Survey Date:         10/98

 

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 1891 through 1977 range of death dates inscribed on observed headstones and recorded by a previous survey.  However, the presence of uninscribed fieldstone markers and an unmarked grave may reflect an earlier or later use of the site.  The cemetery is marked on the USGS Elliston map sheet and labeled “cem” but it is not marked on local realty maps.  Cemetery appears to be located on parcel 73.00-1-63.

 

The RVHS surveyed this cemetery and apparently used an oral history to document biographical information for three graves that predated 1921 (1986: 190).   The report also included biographical information for eight graves in another cemetery located “about 500 yds. Away” from the Owens Cemetery.

 

Marker Inscriptions:

 

Jacob S.                                                                 Melvina M.                                           Inez Elvina Owens

Smith                                                                      Smith                                                      Wife of

May 31, 1851                                                         Apr. 11, 1852                                         George Andrew Reynolds

Feb. 8, 1926                                                           May 28, 1922                                         Oct. 16, 1887

He has gone to                                                     She was the                                           May 15, 1924

A mansion of rest.                                               Sunshine of our                                    (footstone: Mother)

(cement marker)                                                    Home.

                                                                                (cement marker)


Owens Cemetery (continued)

 

Charles Raymond                                                 A.C. Owens                                           Pearl O. Owens

Son of                                                                    Feb. 1847                                               Sept. 5, 1891

J.W. & E.J. Baker                                  Feb. 1935                                               Nov. 10, 1924

Feb. 27, 1899                                                         (cement with                                         (footstone: POS)

June 3, 1924                                                           footstone: ACO)

 

Owens                                                                    Mattie E. Smith                                     James R. Owens

Lewis Edward                                                       July 20, 1893                                          Mar. 13, 1930

Feb. 6, 1889                                                           Nov. 9, 1961

Mar. 28, 1977                                                         (footstone: Mother)

(footstone: Father)

 

 

Information recorded by the RVHS:

 

Florence Farris – daughter of Molly Mitchum

Molly Mitchum Farris – died 1891

George Reynolds, Jr. – infant born and died July 1907


 

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