cemetery – Random Connections

A Mystery Mercenary at Lake Marion

November 10, 2026November 10, 2026 Tom No Comments

Sitting by itself outside of a brick family plot in the Rocks Cemetery on Church Island is a military headstone. This is a cenotaph. There is no body there, but only a marker to memorialize the body. Lieutenant Colonel George St. Leger Grenfell’s marker has a Confederate iron cross and a US flag. Usually there … Read More “A Mystery Mercenary at Lake Marion” »

Wilkinsville and a Mystery Church

May 19, 2022May 20, 2022 Tom 7 Comments

This blog post has been an amazing journey and has taken several weeks to complete. It has involved lots of people and diving down lots of research rabbit holes. I was able to piece together some answers, but I still have lots of questions. Since this is going to be a multi-page post I thought … Read More “Wilkinsville and a Mystery Church” »

Orphaned Graveyards and Family Connections in Ninety Six

March 18, 2021March 18, 2021 Tom 5 Comments

History and Genealogy

For this exploration of orphaned graveyards I’m leaving Greenville County and heading to Greenwood County, specifically to the Cambridge and Epworth regions of the county. The two graveyards are no longer connected to extant churches, but are closely connected to our family’s history. Mount Hermon (Herman?) Baptist Church is the burial place for my great-grandparents, … Read More “Orphaned Graveyards and Family Connections in Ninety Six” »

Orphaned Graveyards – Bakers Chapel AME

February 19, 2021February 19, 2021 Tom 5 Comments

History and Genealogy

Sometime back, Laura and I were driving down White Horse Road and it struck us just how many unkept cemeteries there were. I made a mental note to check on these, and subsequently several were added to my list of orphaned graveyards. One that struck me as particularly forlorn was located right next to an … Read More “Orphaned Graveyards – Bakers Chapel AME” »

Orphaned Graveyards – Fellowship Church

February 17, 2021February 19, 2021 Tom 5 Comments

History and Genealogy

Continuing with my exploration of old and abandoned church graveyards, one of the most surprising and upsetting finds was the graveyard of Fellowship Church. Located at the intersection of Fork Shoals Road and Georgia Road, the graveyard is abandoned and trash laden. The plot is now bounded by a Dollar General to the east and … Read More “Orphaned Graveyards – Fellowship Church” »

Orphaned Graveyard – South Saluda Baptist

February 12, 2021February 12, 2021 Tom 1 Comment

History and Genealogy, Uncategorized

One of the orphaned graveyards on my list belonged to the South Saluda Baptist Church in northern Greenville County. The church was located in what is now the Tall Pines Heritage Preserve. I visited this site two years ago, in February of 2019. At that time we found the graveyard in terrible disarray, with several … Read More “Orphaned Graveyard – South Saluda Baptist” »

Orphaned Cemeteries – Old Salem Methodist Church

February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 Tom 1 Comment

History and Genealogy

Salem United Methodist Church sits prominently on White Horse Road, right where it intersects with I-185 on the west side of Greenville. The church has a history with our family. From 1963 until 1976 its pastor was the Rev. Bill Cooke. My brother, Stephen, and Bill’s daughter, Cynthia Cooke were married in the church in … Read More “Orphaned Cemeteries – Old Salem Methodist Church” »

Laurens Cemetery Tour 2016

May 17, 2016May 17, 2016 Tom No Comments

History and Genealogy, Local

This has been an incredibly busy weekend. I paddled two different rivers – the New River and the May River near Bluffton, and the weekend wasn’t yet done. I was also serving as a docent for the Laurens Cemetery Tours this year.

Hidden Mill Cemeteries of Greenville

April 16, 2016April 16, 2016 Tom 8 Comments

History and Genealogy, Local, Rambling

So far I’d found two old textile mill village cemeteries somewhat by accident. These reminded me of an article in the Greenville News by Judy Bainbridge from 2009. The article was entitled “Woodside, other mill villages need care.” Bainbridge had listed several mill village cemeteries in town, and at the time I’d thought about trying to find them. Then I kind of forgot about it. That is, until my recent discoveries. Now I was ready to seek out these other forgotten cemeteries.

From Pickens to Oolenoy

May 11, 2015 Tom No Comments

History and Genealogy, Local, Miscellaneous, Photography, Rambling

It was a spectacular Wednesday morning. I’d been doing yard work all week, and needed to escape. That seemed like the perfect time for a trip to the Pickens Flea Market. This time, rather than carry cameras, I had a backpack loaded with audio recording gear.

Apparently everyone in Pickens County had the same idea as me. I had planned to get there around 8:00, but Highway 183 from Greenville to Pickens was a zoo, and traffic was clogged headed through the town and out to the flea market. Eventually, though, I did get a nice, shaded parking space, and set out to explore.

Read More “From Pickens to Oolenoy” »