Wharton-Burgess Cemetery

 

Locality: Roanoke County                  Temporal Period:                  20^th c.

Realty Map:          75.00-2-36.1                           Cultural Affiliation:              Euro-American

USGS Map:           Bent Mountain                     Landform:                              Ridge bench

Grid Locus:            F-4                                          Elevation:                              1760 feet

UTM Easting:       582670                                    Aspect:                                  Southeast

UTM Northing:    4119890

 

Site Dimensions:  50 by 50 feet

 

Survey Description:  Site consists of a small family cemetery with at least one interment and multiple cremations.  The number of burials in this cemetery is not know.  One grave marker and one large brass plaque were observed on the site along with a marker for a dog burial.  Historic plantings include periwinkle and six boxwoods marking the perimeter of the cemetery.  Two cement benches and a birdbath were also observed on the site.  Site was field inspected, photographed, and grave marker inscriptions were transcribed. Site size was estimated by pacing the horizontal extent of the boxwoods that mark the perimeters of the cemetery.

 

Survey Date:         7/98

 

Field Notes:           _x_Yes   ___No

Photographs:        _x_Yes   ___No

 

References:           None

 

Additional Comments:        Assigned temporal period was based on the 1943 death date inscribed on the observed headstone and newspaper obituary for the 1998 death of Mary Jane Burgess.  The cemetery is not marked on the USGS Bent Mountain map sheet or on local realty maps.  The cemetery is located on property known as “Happy Hollow.”  This property was donated to Roanoke County prior to the death of Mary Jane Burgess.  Informants reported the cremated remains Mary Jane Burgess, Walter Shindell, Cherie Shindell, and Henry Bernard Wharton were spread over the cemetery

 

Marker Inscriptions:

 

E. Foster Burgess                                 Mr. & Mrs. H.B. Wharton

Jan. 13, 1869                                          and

May 24, 1943                                         Mr. & Mrs. Foster Burgess

                                                                my aunts and uncles

Murphy                                                                 were responsible for the

Lankford                                                development of  Happy Hollow.

April 9    June 28                                   I maintained it for 15 years

1993            1995                                        then passed this responsibility

Our best friend                                     on to the county.

(dog burial)                                           When I’m gone, the county

                                                                will need your support and

                                                                cooperation.

                                                                Mary Jane Burgess

                                                                1914                        1998

 

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