#3 on Fishing River Township Map

Longitude:
94°10'1.94"W

T52R29S16

This was called the "Cemetery of the Lost Child for years since the first burial was of a child who wandered away from a wagon train, stopped there and was found later dead. (Virginia McBee)

1973 Ray County History: The Old New Garden Cemetery belongs to the Old New Garden Primitive Baptist Church and is a part of its land of four acres. The church was organized in 1824, and shortly afterward it obtained an acre of land from Richard and Sarah Wood Clevenger. Burying began on the west side of this acre. The first grave was that of Elijah Pryor, a small boy, who tried to follow his mother to the home of a sick neighbor. he had slipped away from the Nego slave, became lost, and froze to death. Today, this plot is filled with graves.

The church obtained three more acres from John and Marge Clevenger in 1874 on the south and adjoining the previous acre. New Garden Church has never sold or charged for a lot, or at any time passed title to any one for land in the cemetery. Sometime after 1874, Samuel L. Clevenger bought one-half acre located north of the first acre, which belonged to the church, laid it out in seventy-five lots which were sold to individuals. The church has no titles to these. New Garden, maintained through private donations, is proud of its well-kept cemetery. Mr. Ronald Duncan, appointed by the church, is the caretaker.

Genealogy Trails Transcription online

Ray REF 929.3 CEM

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