The May CemeteryNorton Road, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464 New Prospect, Lawrence County Tennessee |
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Would you be interested in making a donation for the care of the May Cemetery? |
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The May Cemetery, along with the Lawrenceburg Airport, is located on land Daniel May (MAY 102) purchased around 1820-1825. His son Frederick May, 1816-1889?, (MAY 103) is the one who is believed to have set aside land for the May Cemetery when he sold land around where Daniel, his father, and step-mother, Elizabeth Puckett May, were buried. The graves of Daniel, Elizabeth, Frederick, and Frederick's wife Lovice are unmarked and their location within the cemetery are unknown. My dad, Alvin Rye May (MAY 106) believed they are located along the back side of the cemetery. I believe it was My great grandfather, Albert Harrison May (MAY 104) who actually designated the cemetery as a public cemetery where anyone can acquire a plot at no cost. The earliest grave marker I know of in the May Cemetery is for Ary A Herrin. The marker is broken and the date hard to read. I believe she died January 31, 1836. She was born in May 31, 1816. The marker states she was the wife of C. J. Herrin. Tom May 9-11-2020 If you know any information about the history of the May Cemetery please let me know |
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Stories About The May Cemetery |
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The Graveyard Working I the 1950's and 1960's many would go to the May Cemetery on the last Saturday in August to clean weeds and brush off the off the grounds. All the graves would be cleared and mounded up. It would be an all-day affair. Ladies would prepare a large meal in the afternoon. It was a working May/Martin family reunion. I do not remember the year but in the mid 1960's Alvin May and his brother Clyde started a fund to hire a caretaker. Claude Fleeman became the caretaker and was in charge of the fund. The graves were leveled to allow easy mowing of the grounds. The Fleeman family has continued to care for the cemetery. As just a young boy I helped some but had more fun catching lizards and pulling their tails off as they tried to get away. I remember once my great-uncle Joe Martin was clearing a grave of one of the Martin family and dug into a hornets nest it took quite a while before they calmed down enough so he could pour something down the hole and killed the nest. - - - By Tom May Added 9-29-2022 |
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One of the stories was told about the May Cemetery concerned a black Confederate Soldier. During the Civil War there were black slaves who were forced by their owners to fight for the Confederate Army. Many of these slaves ran off when they had the opportunity. What was usually left out of history classes was that were some black slaves who had been freed and sharecropped land for their former owners. Some of them realized if the North won the war they might be forced off the land they farmed. There were a few black men who actually volunteered to fight for the South. After the war many of these black men were made made outcasts among the black community. A story I was told by my Dad and a couple other cousins in Tennessee was that there was a black ex-confederate soldier buried in a corner of the May Cemetery because he was refused burial among other black graves. - - - By Tom May Added 8-13-2022 |
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