SHAW CEMETERY, CULLEOKA, MAURY COUNTY TENNESSEE
From Culleoka go east on Mooresville Pike for one mile. The cemetery is on hillside behind Andrews' (was so in 1987. I did not get their names in 2005) house on left. Climb the hill going up from the house about 500 yards, but bear slightly right as shown on these maps. Several cedar trees, and thickets are in the area of the cemetery.
SHAW, Prof. Barclay R.,
28 Jan 1865 - 15 Oct 1895, (Son of J. P. & Margaret Shaw: Note: Census records
indicate he was born in 1868; also note s/o William F. A. & Mary A. E. Renfro
Shaw.)
SHAW, M.A.E.S.,
(1827 - between 1868 & 1870) footstone with initials M.A. E. S. Mother (Nee:
Mary A. E. Renfro Shaw; d/o William Renfro & Elizabeth Ann Crafton Renfro.)
SHAW, large base but no stone visible.
SHAW, Large base with no inscription remaining.
SHAW, Mary E., 12 Feb 1856 - 27 Oct 1893.
"Wife of W. F. A. Shaw." (Nee: Mary E. McDonald; w/o William F. A. Shaw; Stone
broken.)
SHAW, W.
(William) F. A., (1809 - 8
Jul 1898), (fieldstone marker only, grave of W. F. A. Shaw; h/o Jane Rountree
Shaw; h/o Mary A. E. Renfro Shaw; h/o Mary E. McDonald Shaw.)
SHAW, Jane (Rountree) 1 Mar 1808 - (about 1860-1865). (d/o Andrew & Mary
Robinson Rountree; w/o William F. A. Shaw.)
SHAW, Cordie P., 4 Feb 1885 - 6 Jul 1887. (Stone broken into several
pieces; d/o William F. A. & Mary E. McDonal Shaw.)
This graveyard was so degraded from over growth of
trees, groundhogs and trampling from livestock that it is almost beyond finding
where the graves are located. Many of the stones are broken and away from the
head of the grave. My suspicions are that most of this occurred naturally from
the tree growth. The cemetery has been
abandoned for many years. There are graves and several fieldstones outside fence.
We shouldn't expect the local farmer to understand how to care for graveyards
such as this. He probably does not understand nor is concerned that the tree roots and growth are destroying
this cemetery. It is a major undertaking to stop that. Somehow we need to
make this a more public responsibility. Generally now that falls on the descendents
if they are interested and can be found. Most don't know they are descendents
and many don't care anyway.
Interestingly the people buried
here are probably great-grandparents of many folks out there today. I knew one of
my great grandparents and was only a few years away from being alive at the same
time as the other three, so where are the descendents?
The view looking south from the cemetery. If the Cedar Trees weren't there one could see Highway 373 below.
Sources:
Photos and research of Wayne Austin. Visited there 30 Dec 2005 on a late
Friday afternoon. Published here 18 Dec 2007.
"Maury County Tennessee Cemeteries", 6 Mar 1987, by Fred Lee Hawkins,
page 494.
"They Passed This Way", 1963, by Evelyn Shackleford & Marise
Lightfoot, page D-233.)