WARDEN (RICHARD) GRAVE SITE, (BIG DRY CREEK Road), GILES COUNTY, TENNESSEE

Site where likely Richard Warden had his home up the creek hollow west of Big Dry Creek Road.

Mapping the location   Homesite location

WARDEN, Richard, Born abt 1808, Died 9 Jul 1881. (Son of James & Mary Warden of Campbell Station, Maury County  Tennessee; Interred in lost grave on his farm a couple mile south of Campbellsville, Tn). Place based on the D.G. Beers map of 1876 as where he was shown has living at that time.

Giles County Genealogy in Newspapers (abt)1870 - 1899:

Commentary from Cemetery surveyor
R. Warden shown south of Campbellsville 1876 D.G. Beers Mapping of Property Owners Dist 19.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~maury/GilesCo1878Map/Dstrict19.html
I do not know is this is Richard Warden b. 1808. He owns property just below Calvin K. Warden. (probably 1836 - 1891 interred in Campbellsville Cemetery) (WA 10 Mar 2009]

Notes from Betty Guthrie 14 Mar 2009 - enhanced by Wayne Austin 10 Oct 2010
Here are my notes on Richard Warden, not sure they are the same person because of the age difference?

1850 US Federal Census Richard Warden 38 living with his mother Mary Warden 67; Eliza Warden 35; Priscilla Warden Kerr 28 and her son Joseph Kerr 5. 22 Oct 1850 by J. A. Ramsey

1860 US Federal Census District 6, Culleoka, Maury, Tennessee: Richard Warden 52, merchant, value of property $4,000, living with the John and Eliza Ballafant family. 07 Jul 1860 by D. C. Scott

1870 US Federal Census District 13, Bufords Station, Giles, Tennessee: Richard Warden 63, clerk in store, value of property $4,000; John T. Kerr 23, clerk in store, value of property $400. 29 Jul 1870 by Robert J. Anderson

1880 US Federal Census District 13, Giles, Tennessee: Richard Warden 73, dry goods clerk; John Kerr 35, nephew, dry goods merchant and J. Putnam 20, dry goods clerk, boarder.

We have almost absolutely proven that Richard Warden trained his nephew John T. Kerr, son of Thomas B. Kerr & Mary Ann Warden of McNairy Co to take over his dry goods store sometime after 1870. John T. Kerr finished his life there and died and is buried in the Lynnwood Cemetery.

It is known that Richard Warden is buried on his farm in Wales Station (actually he shows up as owning a home a couple miles south of Campbellsville on what is now Big Dry Creek Rd in Giles County, partly according to the book Autobiography by G.C. Brewer, his great nephew.

Giles County Genealogy in Newspapers (abt)1870 - 1899:
"Died, at his residence on Dry Creek, near Salem Church, on Saturday, July 9th 1881. At 10 o'clock a.m. of disease of the bladder, Mr. Richard Warden, aged 74 years. For some time he has been managing the mercantile business for his nephew, Mr. John T. Kerr, for a while at Campbellsville, and lately at Buford's Station, and was highly esteemed throughout the entire community. He had never married."
So we know he died on Dry Creek (big) near Salem Church. That is south of Campbellsville less than 2 miles. He affiliated with the Campbellsville community, since he was a mercantile business person there and in Buford Station. Might I assume he was buried in Campbellsville Cemetery in an unmarked grave? No says G.C. Brewer in his book refutes that. He said he was buried on his family farm. Could that still could be Salem Church. However that was a Methodist Church and it is not likely the Christian Church folks would be buried in a Methodist graveyard. I am going with the family burial on his farm information as the most plausible location. C. Wayne Austin, 2010

Warden, Richard
Died, at his residence on Dry Creek, Giles county, Tennessee on the 9th of July 1881 in the 75th year of his age, our highly esteemed brother, Richard Warden. Bro. Warden was never married. Was engaged for quite a number of years as a teacher in our common schools. Had followed the mercantile business a good portion of his time, in both of which he was successful. Brother Warden was among the first to embrace the ancient order of things, in the community where he lived, was immersed in Fountain Creek in 1836 (Campbells Station) by Bro. Hopwood; was a firm advocate of the ancient order till his death. He was patient under his affliction expressing himself as willing and ready to go, having finished his work. He was decided in his convictions, frank and easy to approach, disliked affection no matter where it was found, kind and tender hearted, ever ready to assist the suffering and distressed. Thus has passed away one beloved by his relatives, esteemed by his brethren and respected by his acquaintances.
W. N. M.
Gospel Advocate, September 8, 1881, page 571.

Photographed from the Big Dry Creek road 20 Oct 2010. Added here 1 Nov 2010 by Wayne Austin. Source records as noted above.