ODEN
& (perhaps the GREEN) CEMETERY,
(African-American, but older graves believed to be otherwise)
MAURY COUNTY TENNESSEE
Here the photographer is focusing on the old graves who are perhaps not
African-American. In addition to the marked stone of Eliza Jane Green many fieldstones
mark the graves of those passed long ago. The fieldstones/unmarked graves in
general are in rows along the same row as Eliza Jane Green. Perhaps the fieldstones
mark the graves of Eliza Green's relatives or neighbors or even the graves of
slaves (before 1860). All that information is now only known to the Almighty. Look closely at
all the little fieldstones which are hard to see. They stand up, are buried half into the ground and
are facing east in recognition to the 2nd coming of Christ to gather the saints,
an old Christian tradition.
Out in the center right we see the footstone for Eliza Jane Green. Further back
& to our right are even behind us are the Oden monuments.
I merged two photos here to illustrate the way the layout of the graves occur.
Whether there really are two cemeteries here it is not clear. We certainly have
an old section and a new section if nothing else. The facts indicates we may
have the Green Family Cemetery and the Oden Cemetery here instead of just the
Oden Cemetery. The Oden Cemetery is more of a community cemetery noted by the
widespread surname mix, than might have occurred in the days of Eliza Jane
Green. For now I am lumping all memorial reporting into the
Oden Cemetery until further evidence arises. From these two merged cemetery
photos we see almost all of the burial grounds, but are leaving out a few graves to
our right. This graveyard has not been reported in any cemetery publication in
the past.