Shady Grove Cemetery

Longbranch
Coords: 32.080821, -94.541061
Surveyed by Marylee W. Knight, 10-14-98, Updated 2005

Directions: From Carthage, southwest on State Highway 315 for 13.2 miles. Turn right onto FM 348 and proceed north for 1.2 miles. Turn right onto Panola County Road 155 and proceed east for 1.6 miles. This cemetery will be on the left side of the road, with a large opening on the east side of the cemetery where Shady Grove Church once stood. No sign of the church remains.

Old Shady Grove Cemetery is open on the east side, but nestled in a stand of trees on the other three sides. The oldest marked graves are in the center of the cemetery. These graves are for Chania Gates (1842-1914), Clara Adams (Only date Oct 8, 1844 and according to census records, this would be her birth date) and Margaret Laret (Only date Oct 28, 1858, possibly her birth date). The newer graves lie along the edges of the cemetery, particularly pocketed in the extreme four corners, leading one to believe that there is a large number of old unmarked graves in the center portion. A total of 34 unmarked graves were tallied in this survey, but the ground in the cemetery is very rough and many more graves could be disguised by the rugged contours of the terrain. Regrettably, a large number of the marked graves have only a funeral home marker that time and the elements have wiped clean of all traces of identity and even the name of the funeral home. There is also a large number marked by broken chunks of different colored granite, polished on one side. The tombstone of Ozell Wilson appears to be rather old and possibly was broken from its original base and is now mounted on the front of a square column of red brick approximately three feet tall.

It is obvious that this cemetery is treasured by the families of those buried there. The grass outside the cemetery is very high, but the cemetery had been recently mowed and showed signs of constant maintenance. Many of the graves were decorated with artificial flowers. This was even true of some of the unmarked graves, indicating that someone knows who is buried there, and efforts will be made to obtain documentation on those graves. One grave, marked only with an illegible funeral home marker, had a large Cape Jessamine (Gardenia) bush planted on it that had continued to grow and thrive even during the last few years of drought.

Name
Birth
Death
Parents
Spouse
Comments

Adams, Clara
Oct 08 1844
-
~
~
~

Ballard, R.S. Diamond
-
-
~
md. Charlie Ballard
~

Ballard, Rose May
Nov 06 1938
Aug 20 1972
~
~
"Mother of Five"

Carter, Lee C. "Baby"
Aug 10 1943
Aug 10 1943
~
~
~

Castleberry, Annie
1897
1926
~
~
"In Loving Memory"

Castleberry, Walter B.
Dec 20 1926
1926
~
~
"Loving Brother"

Davis, Ardell
Jul 11 1931
Aug 17 1990
~
~
"Father"

Davis, Charlie
1888
1956
~
~
~

Davis, Jess
1923
-
~
md. Carrie Brady
~

Davis, Jess B.
Jul 19 1907
Jan 16 1996
~
Married 65 years, h/o Onnie Mae Tribble
~

Davis, Joe
1949
1978
~
~
PVT U.S. Army - Viet Nam

Davis, Joe B.
Apr 11 1915
Mar 1973
~
~
~

Davis, Mrs. Febbie
-
Sep 23 1953
~
~
~

Davis, Delia Mae Pellum
May 15 1913
Dec 13 1997
~
~
~

Davis, Onnie
Mar 25 1911
Apr 26 1993
~
Married 65 years, w/o Jess B.
~

Davis, Rev. George S.
Dec 25 1921
May 14 1992
~
h/o Silvie Walls
"Father" "I Have Kept the Faith"

Davis, Rev. LeRoy R.
Apr 12 1919
May 05 1983
~
h/o Marenta
~

Davis, Synthia Lewis
-
May 11 1942
~
~
~

Davis, Verlin
1930
1992
~
h/o Doris Marie Brown
Cpl US Army

Fite, Alberta Collins
Sep 19 1904
Nov 17 1976
~
w/o Eddie Fite
~

Fite, Della
Sep 20 1868
Apr 09 1983
~
w/o Isaac Fite
~

Fite, Eddie
Jan 15 1906
Apr 23 1989
~
h/o Alberta
~

Fite, Hubert
1900
1974
~
md. Rosie Bell McGee
~

Fite, I. C.
1874
1959
~
~
Mason

Fletcher, Bonnie
1900
1994
~
~
~

Fletcher, James R.
Nov 11 1941
Sep 02 1990
~
~
PVT U.S. Army - Viet Nam

Fletcher, Novie
1906
1978
~
~
~

Frazer, Mrs. Hattie
Apr 30 1900
Feb 19 1973
~
~
"Loving Mother"

Gates, Arline
Mar 01 1904
Oct 18 196?
~
~
~

Gates, Chania
Feb 08 1842
May 29 1914
Willis/Leona Wallace-Gates
~
~

Gates, Herbert Lee
Sep 12 1926
Oct 03 1990
~
~
~

Gates, K. C.
-
-
~
~
dates illegible "At peace the world could not give" TX Quarter Masters Corp (Father)

Gates, Leonard
Apr 01 1912
Oct 25 1979
~
~
~

Gates, Nora
Nov 08 1913
Aug 04 1982
Dennis/Sammie Reagins-Gates
~
~

Gates, Sammie
1877
1960
~
~
~

Hall, James E.
1949
1975
~
~
"At Rest"

Harris, Mrs. Inez
Apr 23 1943
Sep 29 1990
~
~
~

Hill, ?
1916
1988
~
~
~

Holt, John
1874
1924
~
~
~

Hooper, John
Mar 01 1917
Dec 08 1948
~
~
TX PVT 27th Cav WW II

Horton, Dayle
1925
1972
~
~
~

Horton, Mary Lanell
Dec 15 1986
Apr 21 1987
~
~
~

Jackson, Elizabeth
-
-
~
~
Mother of J. McDaniel and C. Collins "A member of Shady Grove - Long Branch"

Johnson, Jessie H.
Aug 07 1902
Apr 27 1982
~
Rosie Bell McGee
Mason

Johnson, Paul Bryan
Nov 14 1987
Nov 02 1987
~
~
"Age 20 days"

Jones, J. B.
1947
2001
~
~
Panola Co. Sheriff Dept

Laret, Margaret
Oct 28 1858
-
~
~
~

McDaniels, Evie
1900
1972
~
~
~

Morris, Henry
Jan 01 1897
Nov 21 1951
Jim & Nettie Harris Morris
~
~

Osborn, Lucile "Dusty"
Aug 14 1907
Apr 26 1947
~
~
~

Osborne, Felix Jr.
Aug 06 1923
May 16 1985
~
~
~

Owens, Gussie Bee
Feb 00 1910
Oct 03 1989
~
~
"Loving Mother"

Page, Rev. Levi
Nov 05 1928
May 05 1988
~
~
~

Pellum, Carl
1902
1920
~
~
~

Pellum, Elnora Castleberry
Jul 15 1908
Jan 30 1986
~
w/o Obie Pellum
~

Pellum, Eula B. Reagins
1903
1977
~
md. Carl Pellum
~

Pellum, Lois
Nov 10 1917
Jan 03 1983
~
~
OES

Pellum, Obie
1907
1981
~
h/o Elnora
~

Rattler, I.V. "Red"
Apr 14 1933
Dec 26 1983
s/o Julius & Virneater Rattler
h/o Mary Luckey Rattler
Unmarked grave right beside J & V

Rattler, Julius
Nov 20 1901
Dec 05 1986
~
~
Married Nov 25 1925 "Daddy Jule "

Rattler, Virneater
Mar 20 1907
Jul 22 1985
~
Married Nov 25 1925
"Mama Skeet "

Reagan, Banner
-
May 03 1967
~
Father
~

Reagins, Cornelius
Aug 30 1900
Feb 14 1993
~
h/o Vena Holland
"Father" "At peace the world could not give"

Reagins, Johnnie G.
Feb 12 1899
Oct 04 1954
~
TX PVT 55 CMLIMPRG Co - WW II
~

Reagins, Onerine Davis
1928
1971
~
Beloved w/o Devola
"Mother of Charles, Eva and Vera"

Reagins, Willie James
1907
1959
~
~
~

Richardson, Virginia Osborne
Dec 17 1917
Nov 24 1985
~
~
~

Rudd, Edward
??? 19 1979
??? 19 1979
~
~
"Age 0 yrs 0 months 0 days" (Southern F.H. marker) (unreadable)

Rudd, Rose Mary
Feb 08 1954
May 04 1985
~
~
~

Session, Mary Lou Davis
Oct 19 1944
Nov 12 1999
~
~
~

Smith, Anthony
Jul 06 1900
Jun 11 1968
~
~
PVT Co D 270 Inf WW II

Smith, Earlie
1903
1983
~
~
~

Tatum, Gilbert M.
1919
1980
~
md. Ola B. Castleberry
PVT US Army WW II

Tatum, Ola B.
Aug 22 1921
May 16 1979
d/o Ander/Hattie Jones-Castleberry
w/o Gilbert M. Tatum
Picture of Ola B. on tombstone

Tatum, Rose Mary Rattler
Feb 25 1928
Sep 18 1991
d/o Julius/Virneater-Rattler
w/o Grady Tatum
Dates noted as "Sunrise" and "Sunset"

Thomas, James E.
Feb 24 1926
Jun 09 1986
~
~
STM 1 U.S. Navy WW II

Thompson, Elmon "Jack-O"
Mar 10 1898
Mar 18 1974
~
~
~

Thompson, Mrs. K???
-
May 18 ????
~
~
"Age 36 years" (People's FH marker)

Unknown, Baby
-
-
~
~
Unmarked infants grave right beside graves of Julius & Virneater Rattler

Unknown
-
-
~
~
Grave right beside Rev. George Davis (People's FH marke)

Unknown
-
-
~
~
Recent grave right beside that of Lois Pellum

Walker, Gussie Carl
May 19 1928
Dec 07 1988
~
~
PFC U.S. Army - Korea

Washington, Elsie
-
-
~
~
~

Wesley, Lois
Feb 17 1922
May 02 1990
~
~
"A devoted Christian"

Wils, Jessie
May 12 1877
May 18 1946
~
~
~

Wilson, Garrett
1876
1924
~
~
~

Wilson, Ozell
-
-
~
~
"Dad"