History of Old Bethany Cemetery - excerpts taken from Jane Howles Hooker’s book “Neighbors Along the Wolf, The history of Bethany Christian Church Eads, Tennessee. Jane Howles Hooker is Vice Chair and Historian of Bethany Cemetery Association.
Historic Old Bethany Cemetery
In my Father’s house are many mansions:
If it were not so, I would have told you;
I am going there to prepare a place for you;
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14:1-3
Much of the history of Bethany Community lies within the individuals buried in the cemetery. Some of their contributions to the community through family stories still live on in the memories of the descendants, third, fourth and fifth generations who now make up a large part of the approximate 250 members of Bethany Christian Church founded in 1838. Old Bethany Cemetery is located on the east side of the church on Bethany Road, Eads Tennessee. The cemetery founded in 1847 on a portion of William Hamner’s 51 acres. According to the Burrows family records, William and Elizabeth Hamner are buried in Old Bethany Cemetery, sites unknown. On February 26, 1869, Hamner’s will was probated and his son James A. Hamner and wife Mary Hooker Hamner sold 10 acres, including the cemetery and church property, to Bethany Church for $90. The deed was finalized and recorded February 1, 1872.
Not all of the people buried in the cemetery were members of Bethany Christian Church. This cemetery began as a family graveyard and expanded to a community cemetery, non-denominational. However, the majority are ancestors of several present member of the church. There was no charge to be buried in Old Bethany other than what the funeral parlor required. The deceased person’s family conducted many of the earliest burials. Such was the case of Henry Rutledge who died in 1898 as was buried the same day. This was not altogether unusual for primitive methods of burial were still practiced for sanitary as well as preventive measures. It was not until 1914 that death and burials were reported to the Vital Statistics Department of the State of Tennessee. Records of services and burials conducted by funeral homes were usually maintained, and if sold, passed to the new owner. Those conducted by the family or community were usually kept in family Bibles or written on the photo of the deceased. Some were not aware of the new law or didn’t adhere to it. Hinton and Hutton funeral records were thrown away and were not passed on to another funeral home, accounting for lost records of early Bethany deceased family members.
Trees, especially cedar trees, colorful perennial bushes or plain concrete slabs or stones, mark numerous gravesite at Bethany. The size or quality of the stone depended upon the financial situation of the family of the deceased person. Sickness, weather, war, forgetfulness, or simply moving out of the community influenced whether there were later descriptive permanent markers, or no stones at all. Therefore, cemetery records are incomplete in the older upper section of the cemetery.
The cemetery is divided into two sections, the upper section (North) and the lower section (South), visibly divided by a concrete walk beginning at the main entrance. Some rows are not straight and thus a gravesite might be between two rows.
The brick and iron entrance to the cemetery was dedicated to the memory of Robert Jasper Stark born 1875 died 1962. The entrance flanked by brick flowerbeds that are in full bloom in the spring and summer, enhance the garden like atmosphere of over 500 gravesites. Stark was a member of Bethany Christian Church and left a large contribution at his death to the Old Bethany Cemetery Association for perpetual care of the cemetery.
Memorial plaques at the entrance honor both men for their contributions. The original iron gate was replaced with a new gate and brick columns in 1975. The brick fence bordering the west side of the cemetery was extended to enclose the newly purchased property south of the cemetery in 1981.
The meditation gazebo, built and dedicated in 1988, add to the peaceful décor of the cemetery. The garden around the meditation gazebo was added in 2013 in honor of Boy Scout troop 355 for the many Eagle Scout projects that were completed in service to Old Bethany Cemetery.
The capstones were place on the iron and brick fence that extends the west side and a portion of the south side in 2014 through donations from many cemetery supporters.
The entrance garden wall was rebuilt in 2018 with the help of sweat equity and donations. it reduced our entry garden area in half, but the wall is safe and beautiful.
In 2019 the Bethany Cemetery Association committed to build a columbarium with-in the cemetery. The gazebo was chosen as the location. In 2020 the Gazebo Columbarium was completed though hard work and commitment of chairperson, Julie Kinney and the board. The gazebo was repainted and new light fixtures hung. The Gazebo Columbarium is a wonderful addition to our historic cemetery.