WEST (John S.) MAURY COUNTY, TENNESSEE

This Map shows you the GPS of the John S. West Cemetery. The Coordinates are N 35.69498 X W -87.05772.

Go north on Theta Pike, Pass Darks Mill Road and go about .3 mile and notice a fork in the road. After permission to cross thru the locked gate, the right fork goes only a short distance and is superficial. Take the left fork and go about .1 (1 tenth of a mile) notice on the left an entrance to an unimproved (farm or old home?) road veering off left.
Take that if you can drive on it. If not walk along it for 3 tenths of a mile to the end of it and there is either a house and barn there or an old house place and barn long gone. Either way you are at the closest point to the Cemetery except for the high hill on your left. Cross the small stream on your left someway and begin the climb up the hill. Climb up 80 feet (you will not know how high 80 feet is so climb the hill straight up along its slope to the highest point. That direction is West and to the south. After you reach the highest point turn northwest and follow the ridge remaining level. Do not climb any more as you are on the same level as the cemetery give or take 20 feet. After you walk along the ridge northwest for 300 yards, you will face southwest (Turn right 90 degrees) pointing directly to the cemetery. Walk another .2 tenths or 300 yards in that direction and veer slightly to the left side of the slope. The cemetery will be on that plateau.

Above is a labeled and highlighted a path to the cemetery. I do not guarantee this will work without more modifications but at least it is a start, because topography is never perfect. There are many houses in the area now related to growth since 1987. Certainly the hills and Theta Road have not changed. However fences and lack of permission will need to be addressed.

With this photo view one can actually see looking west from Theta Pike the distant hill tops where the cemetery should be located.
 

Subject: West Cemetery - Maury Co - Godwin
Date: 1/22/2008 7:32:12 PM Central Standard Time
From: rhbush5@yahoo.com
To: WayneAL1@AOL.com

Dear Wayne,

I am planning a trip to Maury Co the week of March 20-24. Two distant cousins and I are meeting to go through the cemeteries. Can you tell me where the John S. West Cemetery is? He is my 4th great grandfather. I found the coordinates but don't have a working GPS. I need driving directions.

Thanks so much for your help you can provide.
Anne Bush
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Subject: Re: West Cemetery - Maury Co - Godwin
Date: 1/23/2008 1:04:32 PM Central Standard Time
From:WayneAL1@AOL.com
To: rhbush5@yahoo.com

Anne

One cannot drive to the West Cemetery according to the URL for the TOPO map unless someone has built a house near there and their entrance lane is available for use.

Mr. Fred Hawkins says during 1987: Go north on Theta Pike, Pass Darks Mill Road and go another 1/4 mile further. (so far so good, you are still in your car). Enter the small lane on the left that follows a small stream. (also shown on topography maps as a dotted (field) road, but may not be visible today). About 1,000 feet further, a farm trail crosses the stream. (This trail may now be hard to find). The cemetery is in the woodlands on top of the high hill (or ridge in this case. This is generally very hard to find with small abandoned cemeteries, but much easier in the winter months). The above directions Mr. Fred offers are very vague, as this map indicates, because the high hill is meandering in size and shape. It is not a cone shaped hill, but see the mapping instructions above I have provided to better serve you. However don't ignore the land owner.
C. Wayne Austin
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Maps from MS Streets  & Trips 2005, & Google, modified to show this cemetery location by Wayne Austin 27 Dec 2014. I must state that I can take no responsibility for the directions above. They are based only on  the study of mapping and may hold hidden safety dangers such as irate livestock and sink holes, hunters in deer blinds and having easy trigger weapons, etc.