Locality:
Realty Map: 21.00-1-49.8 Cultural Affiliation: Euro-American
USGS Map: Glenvar Landform: Ridge slope
Grid Locus: G-5 Elevation: 1940 feet
UTM Easting: 572500 Aspect: Southeast
UTM Northing: 4132380
Site Dimensions: 150 by 200 by 140 by 190 feet
Survey Description: Site consists of a cemetery with at
least 90 interments. Most of the
observed graves were marked with various types of headstones while eight
unmarked graves were visible as ground surface depressions. These markers included at least 35
uninscribed fieldstone markers. At the
time of the survey a dense cover of vegetation precluded a conclusive count of
grave markers or ground surface depressions; therefore, this survey report may
be incomplete. All of the observed
graves were oriented to the southeast;
however, some of the headstones were oriented to the northwest. A steep embankment down to Rt. 785 forms the
southeast boundary of the site, and a wood post and barbed wire fence marked
the other three boundaries. Historic
plantings included boxwoods, periwinkle groundcover, yucca, and four large
cedar trees. Previous cemetery clearing
removed other cedar trees. Site was
field inspected, photographed, and headstone inscriptions were transcribed and
compared with previous documentation on the site. Site size derived from local realty maps.
Surveyed By: T.
Klatka & A. Sweeney
Survey Date: 4/97
Field Notes: _x_Yes ___No
Photographs: _x_Yes ___No
Reference(s): Roanoke
Valley Historical Society
1986 Roanoke County Graveyards Through
1920. Privately printed, RVHS, Roanoke.
Additional Comments:
Assigned temporal affiliation was based on observed headstone
inscriptions. The death dates on these headstones
ranged from 1800 to 1980. However, the
presence of uninscribed fieldstone markers may indicate an earlier use of the
site. The site has been marked on the
USGS Glenvar map sheet and labeled as “Spessard Cem.” The cemetery is also plotted on local realty
maps and labeled “Spessard Cemetery.”
The RVHS survey this cemetery and documented biographical
information from headstones that predated 1921 (1986: 249-252).
The following information was collected during the 1997 survey.
Marker Inscriptions:
William T. Lawson In
Memory of In
Memory of
Jan. 30, 1861 Our
Sister William
T.
Nov. 3, 1933 S.
Adaline Doosing son
of
He died as he lived, Born
May 11, 1840 C.
& E. Huffman
a Christian Died Born
[older stone with same Aug.
7, 1876 Died
inscription on ground Our
sister left this world of woe
behind modern marker.] for
reunion of eternal,
Twas God who called her from below
To join in praising Him above.
Woods-Spessard
Cemetery (continued)
John T. Woods Giles
Barnett Elizabeth
C.
Born Born Wife
of Giles Barnett
Jan. 13, 1851 Nov.
21, 1816 Born
Sept. 29, 1932 Died July
10, 1819 [?]
Feb. 18, 1886 [1885?] Died
Odna Campbell Tiny
Puckett ML
Jan. 6, 1914 Campbell DEC
7
April 23, 1980 Aug.
6, 1887 1830
Peacefully sleeping. Oct.
10, 1926 [hand
inscribed fieldstone]
Mary Susan Lawson Laura
A. Gordon Hezekiah
Dec. 8, 1869 Daughter
of Born
May 5, 1945 John
M. Gordon
A Tender Mother, And Died
July 21, 1879 Died
A Faithful Friend. Aged
20 yrs. 4 mos. 14 days
Catharina Pricella
G. Berryman
Brillhard
Doosing Daughter
of
D; July 2; 1800 Giles
& Elizabeth Barnett
AG; XXXVII:Y:4:M Sept. 13, 1853 I
know that my Redeemer
July
7, 1866 liveth.
Mary E. Brillhart Ann
Doosing Barbara
E. Doosing
July 7, 1858 Sept.
13, 1835 wife
of John Doosing
Oct. 23, 1917 July
22, 1914
John Woods Doosing In
Memory of Our Sister In
Memory of
Jan. 1, 1846 Martha
Doosing William
Doosing
Dec. 29, 1917 Born Consort
of Sarah Doosing
Dec.
11, 1837 Born
Tbitha S. Died Died
Wife of Oct.
18, 1866 For
dust thou art
Harvey Henderson This
tablet to a sister’s love and
unto dust thou
Jan. 31, 1843 Is
reared by kindred left return
Gen. 3:19
Dec. 21, 1877 Her
soul in bliss is now above
Aged 34 yrs. 10 mos. 21 days Her
friends on earth bereft
Dearest ties of earth are riven (marker’s mark:
But will blend again in heaven. Gaddess, Lynchburg)
Samuel Doosing Sarah
S. L
Gallion
Died June 14, 1808 Wife
of Died
AG XIV YR 3 M William
Doosing Aged
65 yr.
Sept.
1, 1806
Adam Garman July
2, 1870 Abigail
Garman
Born Jan. 21, 1813 Blessed
are they which Born
Died Jan. 10, 1890 Die
in the Lord. Died
Woods-Spessard
Cemetery (continued)
Harvey Henderson Mary
Cerilla Caleb
Huffman
June 19, 1843 Dec.
1863
July 18, 1897
Eliza, wife of Woods,
son of Sacred
Caleb Huffman C
& E Huffman to
the memory of
Jan. 19, 1829 Nov.
13, 1868 Martha,
wife of
Aug. 6, 1912 Feb.
28, 1872 Christopher
The sweet remembrances Suffer
little children to come Lattimer
of the just shall flourish unto
me for such is the Born
Aug. 8
when they sleep in dust kingdom
of heaven. 1799
Departed
this life
28
March
J.D. M. M
J McK 1833
M M M
McK Aged
33 years
(4 footstones without headstones) 7
mo. 20 days
Oscar Wiley Lawson Madison
Ross Lawson Mary
C. Lawson
Born Born Born
Jan. 30, 1885 Jan.
21 1883 ????
18, 1859
Died Died Died
June 18, 1889 July
3, 1904
Sleep on, sweet babe, and Asleep
in Jesus Blessed sleep Rest Mother, rest in quiet
sleep
Take thy rest. God calls From
which none ever wake to weep. while friends in sorrow o’er
thee away when he thinks best. weep
Cinderella
Catherine Lawson John McHenry Lucy
McHenry
Died Died
Jan. 18, 1848.
Ann M. John
A. William
T.
Amine
E. Woods William
Woods Harriet, wife of Sarah Jane, wife of
July
21, 1860 Mar.
22, 1817 William Woods William Woods
Jan.
19, 1884 June
3, 1882 Dec. 28, 1816
Her
life argues that she lives again. July
7, 1855
(three
inscriptions on single obelisk)
Sacred
to the memory of To
perpetuate the memory of Roberta
A., wife of
Isabella
Woods Joseph
Woods John
T. Woods
Died
June 18, 1836 As
the liberal benefactor of
Precious in the sight of the
Lord the Montgomery Presbytery Apr. 11, 1917
Is
the death of His Saints Died
June 18, 1848 As
thy day is, so shall thy
Makers
mark: in
the 77th year of his age. strength
be.
Gaddess,
Lynchburg) The
righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Woods-Spessard Cemetery
(continued)
Markers
documented by the RVHS but not observed during the 1997 survey:
John S.
Johnston / May 29, 1881 /
Wade H.
Johnston / Dec. 23, 1876 /
Cinderella
Catherine Lawson / Dec. 31, 1896 /
Margaret Mockery / Aug. 25, 1825 /
Mary McKenry / Nov. 16, 1822
/
Jacob Doosing / Died Sept. 9,
1800 / AG LXXXIII Yr. 6 M.
E.A.S. Gallion
Geo. Gallion / Died Aug. 1889
/ Aged 71 yrs. 6 mos.
H. Gallion / Died 1833
H. Gallion / Died June 1858 /
Age 42
S. Garman / Died Apr. 1846
J.H. Hamerick
S. Hamerick / Died 1874, Aged 81 yrs.
Margaret A. Hinchee / 1868