Gray's Creek Cemetery

Type:: Cemetery record
Location:: Shelby County, TN

Gray's Creek Cemetery

Anita White

Grays Creek Cemetery - Eads, Shelby Co., Tennessee

3141 Airline Rd

GPS N35 12 43.- W089 40 55.- N35. W-89. C1 Eads

Located at the intersection of Hwy 64 and Airline Rd

on the northwest corner

Grays Creek Missionary Baptist Church

The church was founded in Feb 1843 by Joseph H "Free Joe" Harris, an African-American and its first minister, who was called to preach in 1829 while still a slave in Virginia. Grays Creek MB Church is the

oldest established African-American church in Shelby County, TN. After Rev. Harris acquired the property, he gathered donated yellow poplar trees to rebuild the church, which originally was the Green

Bottom Cumberland Presbyterian Church founded in 1832. The church espoused the religious doctrines of Rev. Alexander Campbell in the 1800's.

Grays Creek Cemetery comprised of 2 1/2 acres was acquired in Feb 1843 by Joseph H "Free Joe" Harris. Many caucasians who were buried here earlier were moved to Morning Sun Cemetery, but a few

remain. Grays Creek Cemetery is among the earliest established cemeteries in Shelby County, TN. Buried here are many outstanding citzens, including Joseph H "Free Joe" Harris (1796 - 1875) and his wife,

Fannie Harris (1798 - 1865), the first lady of Grays Creek Missionary Baptist Church. Caretakers included Matt Brooks, Andrew Johnson and James H "Pete" Brooks.

Alsie, Freeman...June 14, 1902/Aug 2, 1962

Anderson, Aline...Nov 30, 1920/_______

Anderson, Charles...Mar 19, 1883/Oct 14, 1973

Anderson, Hugh...Sep 29, 1905/Dec 21, 1963

Anderson, Mariah...Apr 12, 1894/______...wife of Charles Anderson

Anderson, Reola...Apr 12, 1917/July 20, 1995

Anderson, Tom...1849/1951

Anderson, Willie B...Dec 12, 1918/June 10, 1986

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All these Blackwells on one stone

Blackwell, Catherine...age 13

Blackwell, Chester...age 12

Blackwell, Ed B...age 40

Blackwell, Eddie...age 88

Blackwell, Fannie...age 10

Blackwell, Isabella...age 45

Blackwell, James L...age 1 yr

Blackwell, Martha...age 18

Blackwell, Mary...age 18

Blackwell, Nettie...age 15

Blackwell, Viola...age 10

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Boyd, Phoebe Lewis...Nov 25, 1882/Sep 15, 1937

Branch,____Jan 2, 1894/July 1, 1917...dau of Moses Branch

Branch, Charles E...May 1, 1946/Nov 27, 1975...SP5 US Army Vietnam

Branch, Daniel...May 4, 1892/Mar 9, 1912

Branch, Delphy...Feb 20, 1904/Sep 1, 1904

Branch, Hattie...Nov 9, 1892/Nov 10, 1971

Branch, James E...1934/Feb 7, 1982

Branch, Lucy...1865/Nov 2, 1943

Branch, Noah (Rev)...Jan 20, 1891/Jan 19, 1963

Brooks, Florence....Mar 15, 1879/Aug 6, 1956

Brooks, Matt...Sep 7, 1878/Aug 28, 1958

Brooks, Sheila... Dec 31, 1961/Mar 23, 1963

Brown, Tracy Dee Foote...July 10, 1963/May 3, 1984

Chambers, Alonzo "Lonnie"....1879/1964

Chambers, Buck...1849/1922

Chambers, Henrietta R...1860/1940

Chambers, Margaret "Mag"...1883/1951

Coburn, W J...Feb 11, 1885/Aug 18, 1919..husband of Dora Coburn

Donelson, Cassell...June 15, 1888/Dec 5, 1981

Donelson, Demetrius D...Dec 6, 1960/Oct 5, 1962

Donelson, Granville...Jan 21, 1925/Oct 9, 1995

Donelson, Herbert...Nov 16, 1922/May 6, 1990

Donelson, Malissie Chambers...1889/1921

Donelson, Oliver Carter...July 16, 1892/Aug 26, 1975

Finnie, Arthur Lenard (Jr)...Mar 26, 1966/Sep 26, 1987

Ford, Marry... died June 3, 1875...age 26 yrs

Gray, Autry...July 23, 1922/Mar 15, 1976

Gray, Beverly...died Feb 5, 1919

Gray, Eva...Feb 22, 1884/Aug 11, 1902

Gray, O H (Prof)...1872/1957

Hamilton, Dave...Jan 22, 1885/Nov 7, 1933...husband of Jennie Hamilton

Hamilton, Ella....died Mar 23, 1925

Harris, Fanny...June 21, 1798/Apr 26, 1865...wife of Joseph H Harris

Harris, J A...1805/1857

Harris, Joseph H "Free Joe"...July 18, 1796/July 15, 1875

Harris, Nannie A...Feb 8, 1902/Oct 30, 1986...wife of Searcy C Harris

Harris, Searcy C...May 22, 1901/Mar 9, 1986

Hayes, Josephine Gardner "Josie"...Mar 11, 1920/Feb 16, 1990

Horton, Luther C...Mar 3, 1909/June 13, 1976

Horton, Marie...Aug 7, 1878/Dec 20, 1961

Horton, William Louis...June 16, 1918/Apr 28, 1970...TENN PVT Co B 931 Inf AB Scty BN WW II

Hunter, Mollie...1882/1911

Hunter, Peggy A....Oct 31, 1870/Oct 12, 1871...dau of A & J Hunter

Johnson, Alex...Mar 26, 1896/Sep 16, 1970...TENN PVY Co G 372 Inf WWI

Johnson, Kissiah...Feb 28, 1835/July 28, 1909...wife of Robert Johnson

Johnson, Oscar...Feb 26, 1864/Feb 26, 1866

Johnson, Willie...Dec 24, 1866/Mar 9, 1878

Johnston, Carolyn Fay...Nov 1, 1960/Oct 16, 2004

Lacey, Bernice Lewis...Nov 17, 1918/Apr 14, 1986

Lacey, Carnegie...Aug 19, 1908/June 27, 1958

Lewis, Addie....died Nov 12, 1918

Lewis, Arthur...Nov 25, 1880/Nov 25, 1944

Lewis, Callie...no dates...age 80 yrs...wife of Joe Lewis

Lewis, Charlie M...1893/1939

Lewis, Eldridge...died Oct 31, 1918

Lewis, James T...Mar 10, 1915/May 6, 1967

Lewis, Joe...died Mar 18, 1918

Lewis, Joe...died Jan 11, 1920

Lewis, Samuel...May 11, 1908/Sep 12, 1941

Lewis, Virgil A...Apr 12, 1917/Nov 17, 1984...US Army WW II

Lewis, Virginous...died July 20, 1916...age 26 yrs

Lewis, William...Sep 11, 1889/June 8, 1951...TENN PFC 8 Co 162 Depot Brigade WWI

Logan, Mametta Chambers...1885/1916

Louis, James L "Jim"...1898/1957

Louis, Munble I Chambers Louis...1895/1967...marker only...buried in Lincoln Park Cemetery - St Clair Shores, Michigan

McKinney, Henrietta E Branch...Dec 30, 1919/June 1, 1997

Phillips, Lettie...Aug 25, 1883/Mar 22, 1971

Pittman, Florence "Doll" Chambers Gray...1892/1979

Pittman, Mabel E...1895/1895

Price, Kitty...no dates...wife of Simon Price

Randolph, Faronette LaFrancis...Dec 25, 1950/Feb 21, 1978

Randolph, Frank...Feb 3, 1881/July 8, 1964

Randolph, John B...Dec 20, 1930/May 26, 1965

Randolph, Lincoln B...June 23, 1926/Mar 12, 1977

Randolph, Virgil Mae Thomas...Apr 14, 1897/Oct 3, 1989

Robinson, Jennie...Sep 15, 1902/Aug 19, 1957

Seward, Matt...Aug 13, 1895/Mar 27, 1960

Shelton, Barbara Joyce...Nov 14, 1947/Mar 20, 1951

Shelton, Ophelia...1900/1936

Stewart, Etheridge...May 9, 1905/June 16, 1955

Swift, Mary Frances Gray...May 4, 1898/Apr 19, 1989

Swift, Roxie...May 8, 1919/Apr 4, 1982

Taylor, Clyde A...Feb 17, 1936/Feb 14, 1980

Taylor, Lula Davis...Mar 15, 1876/Dec 19, 1941

Warr, Maude Hayley...Aug 27, 1907/Sep 21, 1992

Weaver, Mary...Jan 9, 1865/_____...dau of W F & Sarah Weaver

Wherry, Dick...died Mar 28, 1909...age 68 yrs

Wherry, Jan...age 50 yrs...wife of Richard Wherry

Wright, Jaylene...Jan 11, 1891/Apr 11, 1953