The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1904-08-12
Keyes Cemetery.

a short sketch of the history Of the
widely known Keyes Cemetery ant
beg you to publish.
The Keyes Cemetery is near th'
old Keyes home on the old Rich
mond and Vanburen road an(
seven miles south of Fulton, Ita
wanda county, and derives it
name from Judge James Keyes
one Of the pioneer settlers of thai
country, having moved from Lau
rance county, Alabama in Novem
ber 1888 and settled the old Keyes
home where he died Nov. 9th, 1886
Judge Keyes was 8 Georgian by
birth but came by way of Alabama
to Mississippi. He was man OF
splendid native intellectually and
practical in every detail Of his
life, as we'll as one of the most
just and conscientious men we ever
knew. His life was and should
be now an object lesson to all OF
his long line Of descendants. He
was never known to turn a strang.
er from his gate or charge him for
the gracious hospitality of his
home. He was beuefactor as
we'll as a philanthropist in the
true meaning of the words void of
self or sinister motives. He rails.
ed and educated a. large family of
girls and boys to wonahhoOd and
manhood and all Of th.n develop
ed into good aud hs-ful men and
women. And strange t" say that
the entire family are all nnw dead
aud sleep sweetly In row together
in the bosom of the sacred soil of
the old home grave yard, except
three who are still living, Viz:
Mrs. Louisa j. widow Of the late
Col. Clark w. Taylor Of Verona.
Mrs. Thos. E. Wren of Texas and
Capt W. H. Keyes of Tupelo.
The eldest OF whom Mrs. Tay lor
now nearly eighty one years old
The first body uttered in this
historic old country cemetery was
that of Mrs. Jane Thomas, mother
iu-Iaw OF Judge Keyes which oc
CURED on the 18th day Of January
1861, and now l promise not less
than five hundred sleep their eter.
nal sleep iu the old village Of the
dead, aud the ghcanGS will yot be
enlarged. Judge Keyes IN his life
time, personally supervised Che
digging of every grave that was
dug when able. to be present, and
inaugurated rhe rule of the annual
grave working now practiced by
the people Of that neighbor hood
aud surrounding country, and fix
ed as the proper day for said work
the first Wednesday iu every
August. This rule is still kept by
the good people of that country
inviolabje aud presume a depart
ure will never be made by succeed
lug generations. We had the pleas
ure Of being present the last work
ing which was last Wednesday the
3rd inst. aud am sure q hetter,
more whole souled and generous
people l never saw congregated
together. Both ladies and men
entered into the work of clearing
aud identifying the graves OF
strangers as they did their own
loved ones making no difference
as to the work and beauty with
willing hands and sympathizing
hearts, the graves all soon being
clean and neatly rounded up b,
the men ready for the deliverance
of sweet aud exquisite flowers BY
the good women, which were Iasti
ly arranged on the graves with
their own delicate hands aud each
flower bedewed with tear, of tha
love and affection which alone be
long to noble women. After tn
compilation of ali work in tn,
cemetery the ladies spread bask.
ct dinner that was too good TO-
our lords and every body cordial
lily invited to participate, and th,
easy and elegant disposition o
the sumptuous dinner by the lovel,
ladies made the delicious vianu
even more relishable and resulte,
, in crowding the digestive capacit,
Of some of us-but no one was t.
blame for that but ourselves, an,
!, don't know that we were to blam
!, under the circumstances as we wer
actnated by the old maxim tina
the means justified the ends, henc
. we couldn't help i.
Il Well, dinner being ended aud al
: work done, the paople whom wer
:. variously estimated from EIGHT :
; twelve hundred were invited to tn
: pavilion in the country to listeI
to most excellent memorial ID
!. dress delivered by Rev. Bookhous
!, Baptist minister OF Itawamc
county. 1t was tane address a.
a feast to his auditors. Capt. \
: s. Thomas was selected to deliva
: the address next year.
u A committee Was appointed f.
another year composed of Messl
! Posey j. Mattox, L. E. Gray al
Douglas Moore whose 1uty it sha