Lying south of the Gilgal church on the northeast slope of the hill is the Gilgal graveyard, said to be the third largest cemetery in Lawrence county. In this plat are twenty-two wonderful cedar trees bearing evidence of having been planted there many years ago.

Seeing how many of the old graves are marked brings home forcibly to one that it was not possible in the olden times to have monuments properly inscribed to mark the last resting places of beloved ones. We find pitiful efforts to mark them, head and footstones of flat reddish rectangular stones that very probably had been plucked out of or along the creek and placed there to mark those graves. We found crude attempts to cut or chop cut two circular stones resembling balls on stems. There were faint tracings now almost obliterated.

An immense native stone slat, in the old time casket shape over 8 feet long covers the grave of Adam Helton. The head and foot stones are inserted in this large stone. On the headstone is "Adam Helton. Born May 17, 1789. Died September 27, 1843." The children of Adam Helton had evidently in later years placed a family tombstone, cone shaped. Beneath the carved hands at the top is inscribed "OUR FATHER AND MOTHER." Beneath is the verse:

"Dear Parents You Have Left Us

And thy loss we deeply feel,

But 'tis God that has bereft us

He can all our sorrows heal."

Near by is a vault above ground made of rough native stone mortared together, the top a huge old coffin shaped slab. Almost the whole top had been crudely cut with a pocket knife, not legible with the exception of the inscription "Sacred to the Memory of Milley Helton, Consort of Pleasant Helton Died April 22, 1842". That she was appreciated we know for we found dim lettering of "work well done" and "left behind to weep."

One of the largest pine trees was probably a tiny sapling when planted between the graves of George Brock and his wife. Now the roots form a blanket over the two graves.

On the tombstone of the grave of Martha, wife of Simon Caress, born May 22, 1799, is a hand with the forefinger pointing toward "Going Home." Beneath are the words "Took her change May 12, 1853."

P. M. Helton born December 24, 1814 died at the age of 83 and he lies between his two wives, his first love Milley died April 29, 1842, aged 19 years, 1 month, 19 days. Rebecca, whom he married later departed this life April 25, 1878.

There is a large stone which bears the inscription "In Memory of Erie Gregory, Co. B, 18th. Regt. Ind. Vol. born April 1, 1844, died in hospital in St. Louis 1861. Just a lad of 17 who gave his life for his country.

A stone with a carved weeping willow marks the grave of Susannah, wife of William McDaniel, Died November 5, 1852.

Sarah Starr, wife of A. Starr, born December 15, 1796, died August 16, 1862, grave is marked with one of the most ornate stones open book on stand beneath wonderful draperies held back by tassels, in fine carving.

Alexander Ramsey born in Irel co. in old North Carolina, January 22, 1809, and died February 14, 1908 aged 99 years, lies buried here by the side of his wife Malinda, who died September 28, 1876, aged 55 years.

Among the prominent pioneers who lie buried here, are Joseph and Thomas Palmer the former the grandfather of Robert N. Palmer, oldest barrister of Lawrence county.

We found familiar family names of Browning, Todd, P. Norman and his wife Nancy, John Helton, Lively, Gyger, Hawkins.

The most unique and handsomest stone in the cemetery is a stone tree trunk, standing at least twelve feet high, the top of the tree has been blown off with a piece of the splintered timber overhanging, a broken limb hangs down the side, on a snag halfway up is a woven basket bordered with roses. In front at the foot is a large pot of lillies and ferns. From the pot springs a vine entwining the tree trunk bearing leaves and flowers from top to bottom. Around the grave are realistic boughs of trees carved in stone. This marks the grave of Isis the young wife of H. M. Ragsdale, who was born May 7, 1867 and passed away May 26, 1892.

There is only one thing needed to make this cemetery one of the loveliest in the county and that is a gravel road entrance, and we feel that this is an improvement that will be made for the people who have loved ones buried there are taking a personal pride in this city of the dead.

April 1, 1933 Bedford Daily Times, Bedford, Indiana

Surnames

Abbitt, Alexander, Allen, Arthur, Arwine, Atchison, Aynes, Ayres

Bafford, Bagwell, Bailey, Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barbre, Barger, Barnes, Barnett, Bartlett, Baxter, Bean, Beavers, Bennett, Beyers / Byers, Bierly, Blackwell, Bodenhamer, Bonham, Boshears, Botkin, Bottorff, Bouher, Bowlen, Branaman, Brewer, Bridwell, Brim, Brock, Broodhurst, Brown, Browning, Bruner, Bundy, Burkhart, Burns, Butcher

Cain, Callahan, Calvage, Caress, Carothers, Carson, Cassad, Caswell, Chambers,
Chilton, Clampitt, Clancey, Clark, Corder, Cowden, Crawford, Crockett, Cummings

Dearing Deckard, Decker, Denniston, Dillon, Dillman, Dodds, Donica, Douglass, Dulin, Dunlavy, Dunn

Eads, East, Easton, Eddington, Edgar, Edwards, Elkins, Ellison, Elmore, Elwell, Etter, Eubank,

Faubion, Fender, Ferguson, Fish, Fisher, Fleetwood, Flick, Ford, Foster, Fountain, Fowler, Fox, Franklin, Fullen, Fults

Garrison, George, Giger /Gyger, Gilliatt, Gilmore Gilstrap, Glasgow / Glassco, Goodman, Goss, Gray, Greenleaf, Gregory, Grubb

Hale, Hall, Hand, Hanner/s, Hanson, Harrell, Hawkins, Hedricks, Hegwood, Hehe, Helton, Henderson, Hendricks, Hendrickson, Hickman, Hilderbrand, Hillenburg, Holt, Honeycutt, Houshour, Houston, Howe, Hubbard, Hunter, Hurt, Hutchison

J-L

Jackson, Johnson, Jones, Julian, Keller, Kendall, Kent, Kindred, King, Kinser, Kirby, Kunkle, Lane, Linn, Lipscome, Lively, Lucas, Lutes

M-P

Malicoat, Mallory, Marlott, Martin, Marvin, Mathis, May, McArthur, McCammon, McDaniel, McDonald, McKinney, McKnight, McPike, Meadows, Mikels, Miller, Mitchell, Mize, Mooney, Moore, Morgan, Morran, Morris, Morton, Mullis, Murphy, Neff,
Nelson, Newkirk, Norman, Osburn, Palmer, Parkman, Patton, Pence, Perkins, Peters, Powell, Prewitt

R-T

Ragsdale, Railing, Rainey,
Ramsden, Ramsey, Ray, Record, Reed, Ritter, Roberts, Robertson, Robinson, Ross, Sexton, Southern, Sowder/s, Speer, Starr, Stewart, Stipp, Stotts, Strain, Tanksley,
Taylor, Terrill, Thomas, Thompson, Thurman, Todd, Tomas, Trisley, Turner, Turpin, Tyler

U-W

Utterback, Vaughn, Vestal, Waggoner, Weddle, Westenhofer, White, Wiley, Williams, Willis, Winslow, Woodsmall, Woolery, Wray, Wright