FINDING THE PERSONS FAMILY CEMETERY
FIRST POSTED ON JULY 17, 2011-
I have been searching for the graves of Jones Persons
and his son Lovett Persons, on line.
and his son Lovett Persons, on line.
There comes the day that you simply have to pack up and simply GO, to find what you're looking for!!
In this case - It was the Persons' Family Cemetery
in Upson Co., Georgia.
Jones was born 1760, fought
in the American Revolution for NC,
was given several land grants of 287.5 acres
in Georgia for his services and
ended up dying on his plantation
in Yatesville, Georgia in 1850.
We met up with Grady from the local Historical Society and he took us out to the cemetery.
The Persons Family Cemetery sits next
to a two lane road, up on a 20 ft. bluff.
You would never know it was there since
the cars and trucks zip past the curve of the road
and trees are now growing inside
the cemetery and all along the road side.
If you walked out the front entrance,
you would tumble down the bluff to the road.
You are not able to use the iron gate either.
Trees have grown around the metal work.
The only head stone (that we had found at that time),
in Upson Co., Georgia.
Jones was born 1760, fought
in the American Revolution for NC,
was given several land grants of 287.5 acres
in Georgia for his services and
ended up dying on his plantation
in Yatesville, Georgia in 1850.
The Persons Family Cemetery sits next
to a two lane road, up on a 20 ft. bluff.
You would never know it was there since
the cars and trucks zip past the curve of the road
and trees are now growing inside
the cemetery and all along the road side.
you would tumble down the bluff to the road.
Trees have grown around the metal work.
that is still intact is
Malinda Adaline (Lyon) Persons (1825-1908).
Malinda was probably the last person
to be buried here.
There are records stating that her husband, Lovett (1814-1862)
had this cemetery built for his father Jones Persons.
Grady had a poker stick that he used to
check the ground for fallen head stones.
We didn't come with the right tools
to dig up head stones.
It's was difficult to read, but it turns out to be Lovett's head stone.
I believe that Jones and his wife Diana (1775-1859)
are buried somewhere within these stone walls.
I know Lovett and his wife Malinda are here.
There is a possibility that Lovett's older brother,
William Pinkney (1797-1874) and his wife, are buried in this family cemetery, with several young children, since a grave has not been found for Pinkney and his wife.
Malinda Adaline (Lyon) Persons (1825-1908).
to be buried here.
There are records stating that her husband, Lovett (1814-1862)
had this cemetery built for his father Jones Persons.
check the ground for fallen head stones.
to dig up head stones.
are buried somewhere within these stone walls.
I know Lovett and his wife Malinda are here.
There is a possibility that Lovett's older brother,
William Pinkney (1797-1874) and his wife, are buried in this family cemetery, with several young children, since a grave has not been found for Pinkney and his wife.
In the 1850 & 1860 Census forms, Pinkney lived next to Lovett, his younger brother.
The cemetery hadn't been touched in decades(if that) and was a mess!
We had to stop digging for stones due to the heat, snakes and active yellow jackets.
We plan to return in the winter in order to scrape off the top layer of dirt, roots and leaves
with the proper tools.
We had to stop digging for stones due to the heat, snakes and active yellow jackets.
We plan to return in the winter in order to scrape off the top layer of dirt, roots and leaves
with the proper tools.
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This is another photo of Malinda's head stone.
It was misting all morning on Friday.
We were under trees -
there was no sun until late in the afternoon.
Malinda - You are not Forgotten!
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It was misting all morning on Friday.
We were under trees -
there was no sun until late in the afternoon.
Malinda - You are not Forgotten!
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THE HOUSE THAT LOVETT BUILT -
Posted originally on April 7, 2012
**1849 signature of Jones Persons (1760-1850)
and his son-in-law who married his daughter Martha N. Persons (1809-1889)
~~~~~
**The original signature of my 90 year old Revolutionary War Soldier Grandfather.
Jones Persons (my GGG Grandfather) was born in 1760 in Granville Co., NC. He served in Col. Elijah Clarke's Regiment during the American Revolutionary War and received a land grant that turned into extensive land holdings in ten counties in Georgia.
The 1830 US Census for Upson Co., Georgia has Jones Persons with 2 people living in his household. This would have included Dianna his wife and their youngest son, Lovett (GG Grandfather)
who was 16 years old.
who was 16 years old.
The 1840 US Census, District 588, Upson Co., Georgia has Jones and his wife living alone. Their son Lovett is listed as living by himself next door.
Mr. R. is now the owner and caretaker of the Old Homeplace - built by Lovett Persons about 1840.
Looking in through the front door,
the house retains the original floor plan typical of many large Southern homes. A high ceiling with a long and wide grand hallway, served as an entry way and when first built, the hallway extended the full depth of the house with doors at either end of the house. When the doors were opened, they allowed for cross-ventilating breezes. On either side of the central hallway are the parlor and the bedrooms.
First room on the right is the formal parlor.
This is the original stone work in the fireplace,
mantel, walls and thick pine floors.
The window casings are deep and go from the top to the bottom to allow more air and light in the room. Look at the square molding around the window with a Bullseye design at each corner.
It's difficult to see in this photo - but if you look carefully; you can see the wide wooden boards that still cover the walls for the entire
old section of the house.
the house retains the original floor plan typical of many large Southern homes. A high ceiling with a long and wide grand hallway, served as an entry way and when first built, the hallway extended the full depth of the house with doors at either end of the house. When the doors were opened, they allowed for cross-ventilating breezes. On either side of the central hallway are the parlor and the bedrooms.
This is the original stone work in the fireplace,
mantel, walls and thick pine floors.
old section of the house.
This is a better picture of the Bullseye window molding and you can also see the original crown molding around the 14 foot ceiling.
Mr. R. had to replace a few of the old pine boards due to termites; but the vast majority of this is the original floor.
Notice the different molding around this bedroom window. Mr. R. dropped the hall and the other bedroom ceilings to 10 feet, but used the original crown molding.
Every room had a fireplace. Again, notice the wide board walls and the large molding around the floor.
While renovating his home, Mr. R. found this Ambrotype or Tintype in the wall of a closet. It has the image of a boy on a glass plate, set in a
decorative, velvet, wooden hinged case.
At the time, I wasn't able to identify the boy -
but after reading several records, this is probably Robert S. Peurifoy/Purefoy (1844-1862). The son of Martha (Neal) Persons Purefoy and Stanley Purefoy. Martha (Persons) Purefoy was Lovett's
older sister. Martha and Stanley's son Robert was a Private in Company E, Georgia 3rd Infantry Battalion and died in 1862.
older sister. Martha and Stanley's son Robert was a Private in Company E, Georgia 3rd Infantry Battalion and died in 1862.
Mr. R. was born in this house.
His family purchased it from the
Malinda A. (Lyons) Persons estate about 1908.
He and his wife have done a beautiful job to make this into a modern home, yet kept the historical architecture and design in tact!
Thank you Mr. R. for opening up your home and allowing me to "step back into time!"
Also, Thank you Grady for knocking on Mr. R's front door and introducing me to him.
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YATESVILLE, A SMALL SOUTHERN TOWN AND THE PERSONS CEMETERY-
first posted April 9, 2012
Yatesville is a small Southern town, almost in the center of Georgia. In the 2000 census, there were 408 people living there, 158 households and 124 families residing in the town. The nickname of the town is the "Red Dirt City" and it's located in the eastern border of Upson County.
Yatesville was incorporated 1896.
Do Not Enter!
The entrance to the blue door store.
Heading east, just a ways out of Yatesville, is our small Persons Family Cemetery. It sits off of the road and the stone wall facing the road will soon crumble down into the ditch. Standing at the front gate of the cemetery, you can see the Persons Homeplace, up the road a bit.
This is the original gate/entrance to the front of the cemetery. It's interesting how the tree on the right has grown over the iron metal gate.
This is the opening in the stone wall. If you were to walk straight out - you'd fall 10 feet down the embankment to the road.
Probate Records show that the youngest son, Lovett Persons (1814-1862), had this stone walled cemetery built for his father - Jones Persons. Jones (1760-1850) was in the Revolutionary War and settled down in Upson Co. in the early 1820's,
then passed in 1850.
The place was a mess when we found the cemetery summer of 2011. We found Lovett's wife Malinda (Lyons) Persons (1825-1908), and several broken stones.
We were afraid to walk around due to the yellow jackets and snakes.
We have found Lovett and Malinda's grave.
But where was Jones?
This time (2012), we came prepared this time.
Danny brought his chain saw and weed eater. I had a broom, clippers and garden gloves.
Grady had his "poker", the head stone finder!
Lovett's grave.
Malinda's grave after being cleaned up.
Wall cleared of vines and bushes.
Back corner is cleared.
The front corner is cleared.
This winter we will return with rakes and hope that Grady will help us locate stones laying flat under a century of roots, dirt and leaves.
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posted on Feb. 18, 2013
When digging your "roots," there comes a time that you have to go to the place of your family. We made two visits prior to this weekend to: locate the cemetery, check out the records at the local historical archives, clean up the cemetery, and to poke & dig in the cemetery. Now, two years later, I found on FamilySearch and at the Thomaston Archives: Wills and Probates for both Jones, his wife Dianna (Neal) Persons and for Lovett and Malinda (Lyons) Persons. I know who this cemetery was originally built for and the names of the family members that were laid here.
Sadly, there is only one complete headstone left. The others have been broken, moved or taken.
Grady, a local historian, uses a long metal rod to find headstones that have fallen and are hidden under decades of leaves and dirt. He found Lovett Persons' (1814-1862) flat stone this way.
Claude from Thomaston Upson Co. Archives, came out with his divining rods to help locate
the burial spot for Jones Persons (1760-1849).
I found a written notice which says that Lovett Persons (Jones' youngest son) paid to have this rocked wall to be built around his Father's grave.
Great appreciation goes out to the THE THOMASTON, UPSON CO., ARCHIVES
for the records that are available for anyone who has the desire and time to do the research.
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Grady on the left and my husband Danny on the right.
June 2015
We have returned 3 times to clean up the cemetery and look for family members' graves and grave stone which have been documented to be in this cemetery.
FRONT ENTRANCE TO CEMETERY
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| Front entrance as found July 2011 |
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| Front entrance after clean up April 2012 and right corner of wall, facing the road. |
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| Front entrance after clean up June 2015. The right side has fallen down the embankment. |
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AN UPDATE ON THE PERSONS FAMILY CEMETERY AND WHO IS BURIED HERE -
posted on June 6, 2015
FRONT RIGHT WALL & CORNER
AN UPDATE ON THE PERSONS FAMILY CEMETERY AND WHO IS BURIED HERE -
posted on June 6, 2015
FRONT RIGHT WALL & CORNER
 |
| Front right corner, facing the road, after the April 2012 clean up. |
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| Front right corner, facing the road, June 2015. |
When standing in the middle of the cemetery, this right corner wall that faces the road appears the same. With huge trucks rumbling down the road and all the rain we get; the embankment is eroding out from under the front of the stone wall.
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| June 2015 |
It's almost impossible to enter through the front entrance of the stone wall. The right stone wall of the entrance is splitting and the entire right side from the front entrance down, is sliding down the hill.
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| June 2015 |
THE BACK STONE WALL
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| Back of stone wall on the easement. July 2011 |
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| Back stone wall along the easement, before the clean up. July 2011 |
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| Back stone wall along the easement, before the clean up. July 2011 |
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| Back stone wall. June 2015 |
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| The back stone wall of the cemetery and the easement. June 2015 |
WHO IS BURIED IN THE
PERSONS CEMETERY?
Lovett Persons had the 30' x 30' cemetery built with a stone wall for his father Jones Persons after he died in 1850, being the first person buried in this location. It sits on the corner edge of the Persons' 300 acres about 100 yards from the family house (shown below) that Lovett built in 1840 and remained in the Persons family until Malinda Lyon Persons died in 1908.
To this date, Lovett's home is lived in and well maintained.
To this date, Lovett's home is lived in and well maintained.
#1. Jones Persons (1760-1850) fought with Col. Elijah Clarke's Regiment during the American Revolution and received two land grants in Georgia for his services. Jones was the first person to be buried here - that I know of!
I have NOT been able to find his stone.
 |
| James Persons (1855-1856) |
#2. We found the grave stone for James Persons (1855-1856),
baby of Lovett and Malinda Persons. This was the first and only evidence of James Persons. Since he was born mid-decade, he wasn't recorded on the US Census, no church records found nor have I found a Persons Family Bible.
#3. Jones' wife Diana (Neal) Persons (1775-1859) would have been the next person to be buried here since her husband was the first to be buried here and her youngest son Lovett was the executor of her estate.
baby of Lovett and Malinda Persons. This was the first and only evidence of James Persons. Since he was born mid-decade, he wasn't recorded on the US Census, no church records found nor have I found a Persons Family Bible.
#3. Jones' wife Diana (Neal) Persons (1775-1859) would have been the next person to be buried here since her husband was the first to be buried here and her youngest son Lovett was the executor of her estate.
 |
| Lovett Persons (1814-1862) |
#4. Lovett Persons (1814-1862) died of an illness that lingered for two months, according to his probate which shows itemized nightly visits and payments to his Dr. for medication. We found the top of his broken grave stone moved from his burial site, in the cemetery under several inches of soil.
#5. Lovett's older brother William Pinkney Persons (1797-1874) lived next door to Lovett. The two had many land dealings and according to an enumeration of the cemetery in the mid 1960s, there was part of a pink head stone still in the cemetery at that time. He went by his middle name of "Pinky" on several documents that I have found. His grave has not been found anywhere else.
#6. Pinky's wife, Nancy B. (Freeman) Persons (1804-1877) would have been buried with her husband and her grave has not been found elsewhere.
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| Malinda Adaline Lyon Persons (1825-1908) |
#7. Lovett's wife, Malinda Adaline (Lyon) Persons (1825-1908) head stone is located in the cemetery and is in fairly good condition.
I think, that Malinda would have been the last person to be buried here.
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| Head stones found in Persons Cemetery. 2013 |
If you or anyone you know, should have information about Pinkney or Nancy's burial
or earlier photos of this cemetery,
or earlier photos of this cemetery,
please contact me and share your info.
Due to the cemetery wall falling/sliding down the hill to the road and the destruction of the back wall by the upkeep of the easement, I am checking into the possibility of moving this cemetery a mile down the road, to the New Hope Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Yatesville.
Jones Persons was one of the original founders of the church as well as Malinda's parents,
Rev. James & Rachel (Harrell) Lyon
and siblings who are buried at the
New Hope Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.
The Lyon's burial plot is also surrounded with a stone & mortared wall like the Persons, so was probably built by the same people.
Due to the cemetery wall falling/sliding down the hill to the road and the destruction of the back wall by the upkeep of the easement, I am checking into the possibility of moving this cemetery a mile down the road, to the New Hope Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Yatesville.
Jones Persons was one of the original founders of the church as well as Malinda's parents,
Rev. James & Rachel (Harrell) Lyon
and siblings who are buried at the
New Hope Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery.
The Lyon's burial plot is also surrounded with a stone & mortared wall like the Persons, so was probably built by the same people.
suzzz45(at)yahoo(dot)com
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We found the Persons Family Cemetery in July 2011, with the help of Grady, a local volunteer for THE THOMASTON-UPSON CO. ARCHIVES
(click on the Archive for their blog and information)
Grady on the left and my husband Danny on the right.
June 2015
We have returned 3 times to clean up the cemetery and look for family members' graves and grave stone which have been documented to be in this cemetery.
The cemetery sits up on a bluff off of Yatesville Hwy. County Rd. 74 at
the Upson & Monroe Co. line.
the Upson & Monroe Co. line.
