PARKER-CARPENTER CEMETERY, (Ball Hollow Rd) GILES COUNTY TENNESSEE 

Mapping the location

Overview of the cemetery 025  026  028
Old  Historic Restored home to immaculate condition - near entrance to Minnow Branch Road: 220

CARPENTER, Eaton, 9 Mar 1811 - 5 Jul 1871.  No photo, (likely located next grave north of Emmie in dense brush.)
CARPENTER, Emmie (Emarsella Wolf), 9 May 1820 - 1 Aug 1882, (wife of Eaton Carpenter) 221
CARPENTER, R. H. C., 28 Nov 1851 - 3 May 1914 No photo
CARPENTER, Sadie Mai, 22 May 1914 - 5 Sep 1916, (daughter of Marcus & Pearl Gilliam Carpenter). No photo
CARPENTER, Sammie Laura, B. & D. 12 Jun 1915. No photo
CARPENTER, Samuel E., 21 Jan 1877 - 8 Jan 1915,(son of George W. & Nancy E. Carpenter. No photo
CHAPMAN, Margaret, 29 May 1862 - 1 Aug 1900. 011
CROSS, Henry T., 10 Feb 1859 - 8 Dec 1901. Father.  021 022 024
                            and
CROSS, Susan Amanda, 27 Jun 1858 - 10 Feb 1926. Mother. 019 020 023 024
CROSS, Mamie, 3 Dec 1890 - 11 Oct 1895, daughter of T. H. & D. D. Cross. No photo
HICKMAN, Harriett J., 30 Aug 1847 - 28 Jan 1914. No photo
PARKER, J. (John) H., 19 Aug 1852 - 26 Aug (1928). 002
PARKER, Sallie D. (Carpenter), 18 Jun 1859 - 20 Jun 1916, (wife of John H. Parker, daughter of Eaton & Emmie Carpenter). 001 014
PARKER, Infant daughter of J. H. & Sallie D. Parker, 8 Oct 1890 - 8 Nov 1890. 015 016
PARKER, Marvin W., 19 Sep 1880 - 11 Jun 1954. 005 006 007 013
PARKER, C. P. (Pearl), 25 Nov 1883 - 12 Aug 1919. (wife of Marvin W. Parker). 003 004 008 013 
PARKER, Louisa Smith, 22 Jun 1878 - 14 Jan 1940. (wife of Marvin W. Parker; 1st married to Samuel E. Carpenter (1877-1915) m. 1904). No photo
QUARLES, Mary B., 9 Aug 1805 - 15 Jan 1892. 009 010
THURMAN, Henry M., 11 Mar 1857 - 24 Mar 1900. 017 018
THURMAN, Marsella Jane Carpenter, 2 Feb 1855 - 19 Mar 1925, ( daughter of Eaton & Emersella Wolf Carpenter; no tombstone marker found.)

Melissa & Jeff Atkins, the photographers here, were unable to get photos of all the stones due to the dense saw briars and brush infestation next to a well manicured lawn. 

This cemetery is among the worse grown up I have seen and I think I know the reason. While the cemetery was enclosed by a chain link fence, it is infested from a growth of weeds, vines & trees. It has been allowed to grow up the last several years in a very harmful way to this cemetery. It is in extreme danger of being lost from neglect. Tree roots will invade the graves and render the headstones out of level  causing them to topple to the ground and break among other things. 

The main culprit here is a very serious issue of disagreement and permission with the land owner who will not allow anyone to come there and clean the cemetery or even visit it for photos and make condition checks.  

I (Wayne Austin) first went there 5 Nov 2009 to do minor cleaning so that I could make photographs for this site. I went to the owner for permission and was greeted by a lady (whom I will not name) who promptly ordered me off the land in a very mean spirited manner. Since I wanted no conflict with anyone I left. 

When I discussed this issue with Faye Bradford who helps me with this site I discovered she is a descendent of the Carpenters interred in this cemetery.  She was devastated that someone would act in such a manner against her ancestor's graves. She has a deep abiding respect toward those who came before her. She with her daughter resolved to use the new laws respecting descendents as the primary owners of the cemetery plots and thus the cemetery to attempt to gather the photos needed for this site. The above photos though not complete were collected with their efforts. They deserve our applause for attempting to get past the "troll under the bridge" to gather and offer to the public the above images. 

I don't believe we have seen the end of this conflict. We are aware of our rights to respect those good folks that once lived on this green earth. They deserve our devotion to the upkeep of their graves and at the same time respect the rights of the land owner even though he or she viciously allows a terrible cycle of infestation of growth to this once pristine little cemetery. It is so odd the owners take pride in the beauty of the grass next to the cemetery and allow this. While I agree the pretty grass next to this cemetery is none of my business, it is weird to me that folks will care so deeply for their lawns and allow adjacent brush to destroy a cemetery which is just as much a part of their land environment. Its as if they are trying to hide the cemetery.

Transcribed from Photos taken by Melissa Bradford Atkins and her husband Jeff Atkins who visited here 21 Mar 2010. Typing by Faye Bradford of Birmingham Alabama. Added here 12 Apr 2010 by Wayne Austin. Again updated by information from Faye Bradford 3 Jan 2010.