FREEMAN CEMETERY
WEAKLEY COUNTY, TENNESSEE
OTHER FAMILIES and INDIVIDUALS
There are numerous "other" families and individuals buried in Freeman Cemetery that we know far less about. These families may have moved on to other areas of the country, or they may still be in the area but just not known to us. We are always happy to learn more about these people. Please see the Contact page if you have more information about or are a descendant of one of these people and are interested in preserving their history for generations to come.
HAZEL B. ALEXANDER (1919-????) and J. D. (SLIM) ALEXANDER (1918-1987) have a tombstone in Freeman Cemetery, though there is no burial date for Hazel.
Boyd and Spicer Family
SOLOMON SPICER (1829-1901) was a Confederate Army sergeant. In 1865 he married Josephine M. Smith, who was a Civil War widow, having lost her husband James Smith. She and James had one child, Helen aka Jennie.
Solomon and Josephine Spicer had several more children: Ransom, John, Roy, Ola, Fred Caperton, and Tandy.
HELEN ANN (JENNIE) SMITH CHEVALIER BOYD (1860-1921) first married William N. Chevalier in 1884, but presumably he died. In 1889, she married ROBERT PINKNEY BOYD (1838-1930) and they lived for numerous years in Weakley and Obion counties, where Robert worked as a farmer or farm laborer. Helen and William Chevalier had one son, listed first here, but Charley was raised as a Boyd. In addition, Helen and Robert had four more children:
Charley Chevalier Boyd (1886-????)
Florence Eatwell Boyd Williams (1893-1988)
William Banks (Willie) Boyd (1895-1993)
James Lee Boyd (1897-1932)
Bonnie Russell Boyd (1899-1990)
In addition, NANCY SMITH SPICER (1815-1897) and BURRELL BENNETT SPICER (1813-1897) are buried in Freeman Cemetery. We haven't yet determined how this couple is related to the Solomon Spicer and/or Josephine Smith family, but it's likely that they are. Burrell Spicer also served the Confederate Army (as a private and based out of Kentucky). He received a presidential pardon from Andrew Jackson in 1866. Nancy and Burrell had at least three children: Telitha Elizabeth Spicer (1840-1925), Emma Spicer Todd (1847-1918), and Sarah Catherine Spicer Mullen (1847-1928).
Bunton Family
WILLIAM FRANKLIN (FRANK) BUNTON (1860-1902) and his wife, EMILY PRINCE BUNTON (1862-1936), are buried in Freeman Cemetery. They had three children that we know of: Lula May Bunton Tomlinson (1886-1964), WILLIAM JESS BUNTON (1892-1969), and Lorene Bunton Hardewood (1902-1965).
William Jess Bunton married MOLLIE MAY SADLER BUNTON (1903-1980), and they are also buried in Freeman Cemetery. They had seven children, two of whom are buried alongside them:
Mary Lucille Bunton Wootchie (1923-2000)
WILLIAM LEDFORD BUNTON (1925-2004)
Clyde Waymond Bunton (1927-1985)
Lula Bunton Taylor (1930-2014)
James M. Bunton (1931-2015)
Ruby Dell Bunton Harrison (1933-2013)
JERRY DEE BUNTON (1937-1991)
LELA IDA CORBITT CORLEW (1866-1944) and WILLIAM THOMAS CORLEW (1857-1932) had seven children:
Myrtle Corlew Wright (1884-1969)
Dexter Guy Corlew (1885-1966)
Blanche Corlew Templeton (1886-1968)
Monte Sebastion Corlew Byars (1889-1967)
Norma Grace Corlew Oliver (1891-1922)
Ann Corlew Stewart (1903-1957)
Mary Corlew Simonich (1910-1946)
J. W. DAVIDSON (1823-1904), according to a reminiscence published by his niece, Laura Edwards, in 1904 in the Dresden Enterprise, had been born in Davidson County, Tennessee, and married Charlotte McWherter Davidson in 1855. He fought in the Civil War, was wounded, returned home to recover, and moved his family to Obion County in 1867, then Weakley County in 1898. J. W. and Charlotte never had any children of their own, but "raised nine little orphan children." He was described as a good neighbor, good Christian, beloved by all. It is unknown where his wife is buried.
EUNIA MAY BROOKS DICKINSON PATTERSON (1878-1951) and her first husband, CHESLEY DICKINSON (1872-1906) are buried in Freeman Cemetery. Eunia and Chesley had one son, Otis L. Dickinson (1905-1981). Ten years after Chesley passed away, in 1916, Eunia married William Noah Patterson (1887-1965).
Eunia's parents were John Thomas Brooks (1854-1938) and Margaret A. Holland Brooks (1858-1922). It is not known at this time if they have any relation to the other Brooks family members buried at Freeman Cemetery.
JOE B. HAITHCOCK (1905-1908) is one of the most poignant burials in Freeman Cemetery. Although his tombstone reads, "son of M. E. and B. A. Haithcock," his parents have not been clearly identified, and no other family members seem to be buried here with him. It's likely that he is associated with a "Hathcock" family that lived in the area as of the 1900 census. It shows a William J., 55; his wife Martha E., 50; Clarence, "orphant," 7, and then a neighboring couple, James H., 26, and his wife, Mertie, age 17. William J., Martha E., and their "adopted son," Clarence, along with another child listed as a "ward," are still in the area in 1910. But the initials and dates don't add up neatly, so their relationship with Joe is unclear.
LAURA EDWARDS HARRIS (1878-1911) and WILLIS A. HARRIS (1869-1923) married in 1907 and are buried together at Freeman Cemetery. They had one son, John Edward Harris (1908-1950). John and his wife, Agnes M. Danner Harris (1911-1980), are buried at East Side Cemetery in Martin.
PEYTON HENDRIX (1810-1895) was instrumental to Freeman Cemetery, as he first owned and shared the land for a community burial ground that would eventually become Freeman Cemetery. Not much is known about him, though he lived with the Freeman family at the end of his life, after both of his wives had passed away. Both of them, NANCY M. HENDRIX (1799-1870, no tombstone) and LYDIA VANSTARY HENDRIX (1821-1887), are also buried in Freeman Cemetery. Peyton does not seem to have had any children with either wife.
Horn and Travis Family
FRANCIS MARION HORN (1850-1918) married LUCY ELIZABETH TRAVIS HORN (1856-1934) in 1875. They were members of Bethany Methodist Church and had four children, two of whom are also buried in Freeman Cemetery:
W. THOMAS HORN (1876-1950)
Ninnie Horn Jackson (1880-1918)
PERCY WEAVER HORN (1890-1940)
Imo V. Horn Davis (1892-1974)
W. Thomas Horn married LETTIE FORREST HORN (1886-1964). They don't seem to have had any children.
Percy Weaver Horn married, first, CORA L. BALDRIDGE HORN (1893-1931), and they had two children: an unnamed Baby Boy Horn (1914-1914), who is buried in Stewart Cemetery in Sharon, and Harrison Littleton Horn (1918-1991), who is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Sharon. In 1934, Percy married BESSIE CARR SWEENEY HORN (1889-1966). Both Cora and Bessie are buried with Percy in Freeman Cemetery.
JOSEPH WESLEY (JOE) TRAVIS (1866-1946), brother of Lucy Travis Horn, is also buried at Freeman Cemetery, alongside his wife, NANNIE EMILY WILLIAMS TRAVIS (1869-1939), and four of their six children:
Lawrence William Travis (1890-1963)
CLARENCE WILLIAM TRAVIS (1894-1961)
EMILY FORREST TRAVIS (1896-1971)
INFANT SON TRAVIS (1900-1900)
INFANT SON TRAVIS (1902-1902)
J. W. Travis (1905-1974)
John Littleton Travis (1914-1972)
All of Joe and Nannie's children moved to Lansing, Michigan. Clarence and Emily Forrest (who went by her middle name) never married or had children.
Lawrence, J. W., and John are buried in Michigan. Lawrence married Lourethia Lottie Bobbitt Travis (1893-1973), and had four children: Luretha May Travis Edmonston, Edith Lemoyne Travis Byrns, William Lawrence Travis, and Joseph Bobbitt Travis. J. W. married Hazel B. Oliver Travis (1905-1990, but they seem to have had no children. John married Elna Sabina (Melba) Woodruff (1916-1995), they had at least one child, Joan Olive Travis Beard (1944-2023).
ELI RICHARDSON (1821-1904), and his second wife, MARY ANN STACEY RICHARDSON (unknown-1893), are buried in Freeman Cemetery. Eli had four children with his first wife, Lucy Jane Nanny Richardson (1830-1871), who is buried in Ralston Cemetery. The four children are: Lowrence Richardson Oathout (1856-1904), Henry Richardson (1858-1874), Martha Richardson Trent (1858-1920), and George Washington Richardson (1864-1933).
In Findagrave. com, there are a few other burials listed that we cannot confirm or that we suspect are inaccurately attributed to burials in this Freeman Cemetery. This is further complicated by the fact that there were at least two other cemeteries in Weakley County known as Freeman Cemetery. In addition, across the south, there were numerous "freedmen's cemeteries," created after the end of slavery. Often, family genealogists find one Freeman Cemetery and believe that it must be the one with a similar name their ancestor is buried in. In addition, transcription errors are notoriously easy to make from photos of tombstones that may be worn, dirty, or in poor lighting conditions. We apologize if we have made any errors here, and we explain our reasoning. We are always ready to be corrected!
Lola Saddler McKinley (????-1927)
She is probably not buried here, as she died in Middle Tennessee of typhus, and it's doubtful she would have been transported across several counties after dying of a highly contagious disease for burial in a cemetery including no family members. Her death certificate notes that she was treated by a Dr. Freeman, but there is no evidence he is related to the Freemans here. Her death certificate also notes that she was African-American and that the cemetery was "Freedman's Cemetery" rather than Freeman Cemetery.
Toba Meek (1842-1866)
This seems to have been a transcription error. We believe that this is JOHN W. MEEK (1842-1866). No other records for anyone named Toba Meek exist.
Samuel Peeples (1807-1900)
While it is conceivable that Samuel Peeples is buried here, we suspect that he was buried in one of the other Freeman cemeteries in Weakley County. He was a prominent citizen of the area (but lived in Gardner on the opposite--northwest--side of the county). We have no idea what source led someone to place him in this Freeman Cemetery, as we have not found any such record.
Eulice Travis (1892-1917)
This seems to have been a transcription error. We believe that this is EULICE BROOKS (1892-1917). Although there was a Eunice (not Eulice) Travis, she married John Wesley Hogard, and they moved to Marmaduke, Arkansas, where they are both buried in Harveys Chapel Cemetery. We believe this is a result of transcription error and confusion with Eunice Travis Hogard (1878-1917).