Last updated
Tuesday, 11-Sep-2018 03:28:08 MDT
ROCKDALE CEMETERY
Rockdale Road
Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas
GPS coordinates: Latitude: 34.58257 Longitude: -93.98216
Directions from Hot Springs, Arkansas: Take Park Avenue (Highway 7 North) from Central Avenue; go about 100 yards past where Highway 7 veers off Park Avenue (Highway 5--you will stay on Highway 5). (You will have driven about 6.2 miles after entering Park Avenue from Central Avenue.) Turn left on Rockdale Road (sign says Rockdale Baptist Church); then turn left on a dirt road past an off-yellow siding house and before the church.
The tombstone photos may be found by clicking on the underline names (or words).
Please click on the 
icon for a personal photograph. You may use the photographs for your personal use but not for publication in any medium without permission.
The photographs may be used for personal use but not published in any medium. For permission to use the tombstone photographs, contact Patti Vance Hays.
If any of the links do not work properly, please let us know as soon as possible.
A book was published by Inez Cline and Bobbie Jones McLane in 1969 called Garland County, Arkansas Tombstone Inscriptions Eastern Volume 1. At the bottom of this reading I am including some people who were listed in the October 19, 1967, reading by Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Jack Brown and Mrs. Inez Cline for that book that I did not find in 2010.
Copied by Patti Vance Hays February 19, 2010. I wish to thank Charleen Nobles for going with me and my husband and granddaughter for going back with me to retrieve my GPS that I left at the cemetery! The listings are, for the most part, listed as I found them; however, I did "ramble" some.
Newman, Joseph H. 1920 - 10/03/2010 [dod from obituary] 1 
Newman, Annabelle Farr 07/24/1927-01/10/2011 1 [from obituary]
Williams, Catherine S. 01/29/1897-04/15/1972 1
Williams, Earl "Bud" 09/12/1925-03/24/2007 1 
Williams, Emmett W. 12/15/1888-11/21/1945
Sargo, Samuel 02/14/1901-06/28/1960 [his marker shows he was born in 1901; however, he is listed in 1900 census with a date of birth of February 1899.] 
Sargo, Vay B. 02/09/1895-02/12/1980 1 
LeCroy, Fannie Sargo 02/12/1903-01/05/1959 
Bashor, Florence P. 01/22/1867-04/17/1937 Daughter Vay 
Bashor, John L. 06/22/1858-09/06/1940 Daughter Vay
Thomason, Cecile Moore 12/12/1918-05/31/1988 1 
Sargo, Evelyn Maxine 03/01/1925-01/28/2003 [back of tombstone] 1 
Sargo, Burton Samuel 01/25/1925-10/17/2004 1 
"Daughters Rebecca Ann -- Janice Vay"
Girard, Henry B. 09/08/1899-02/19/1974
Girard, Maxine 09/17/1903-02/15/1992 1
Hinkle, Emma Sargo 05/07/1899-11/26/1963 [Her tombstone shows she was born in 1899, but the 1900 census indicates 1897; her brother was born in 1899; therefore, the 1897 year of birth is probably more accurate.]
Cowan, Mary Etta Hinkle 08/07/1921-12/17/2000
Cowan, Carl B. 04/17/1917-07/03/1979 1
Hanson, Leo 1896 - Open
Hanson, Christine 1905-1984 1
Mr. Doc He was actually Baggett, E. L. 04/22/1878-08/23/1950 1
Downen, Violet Ann Cockrell 09/20/1958-11/15/2006 1
Phillips, Randy DeWayne 02/11/1964-02/12/1964
Phillips, Freeman Lyman 02/16/1885-04/28/1973
Phillips, Mary Susan 01/14/1895-05/26/1949
Warner, Mattie Swenson 01/28/1907-04/23/1995
Swenson, Mrs. Martha 08/10/1940 Age 67 Yrs. 8 Mos. 8 Days (Caruth Funeral Home marker)
Shafer, Sara Jane 1891-1893
Shafer, Infant Daughter of G. W. and A. D. 07/15/1911-07/15/1911
Van Dorn, Ethel 01/30/1899-10/02/1977 "Dau. of Ada & George [marker showed Geo.] Shafer"
Newkirk, Gracie G. died 12/18/1898 "Dau. of T. M. and A. J. Newkirk"
Sargo, Samuel Jr. 09/25/1927-06/10/1928
Williams, Junie 06/07/1928-11/30/1928 "Son of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Williams"
Sargo, Mary 1868-1953 "Mother" 
Sargo, Annette 1907-1936 "Daughter"
Sargo, Simon 1860-1932 "Father" 1
Rasberry, J. W. 09/12/1869-06/20/1917
Rasberry, Cassie Jane 06/01/1871-06/28/1937 1
Loy, John Paris 1884-1962 [Gross Funeral Home marker]
[He has a funeral home marker under a tree; however, he has a granite marker in Fourche Loupe Cemetery. It is believed he is buried in Fourche Loupe.]
Kinniell, W. E. "Bill" 06/30/1869-01/05/1917
Shafer, Ada D. 06/10/1875-11/07/1918
Shafer, George W. 02/22/1850-06/22/1929
Erected by Alice
Garner, Newton E. 03/02/1921-04/24/2001 Pvt US Army World War II 1
Shafer, Mary Alice 06/17/1896-02/11/1972 "Wife of N. H. Garner"
Kay, Dr. John H. 11/15/1882-10/27/1949 Oklahoma 1st Lt 142 Inf 36 Div World War I
Kay, Lena 12/23/1889-03/10/1986 1
Stacy, Andrew J. "Jack" 12/27/1929-01/16/2002 [Davis-Smith Funeral Home marker] 1
Stacy, Huldah Mae 1901-1993 [Gross Funeral Home marker] 1
Stacy, Andrew Sr. 1875-1948 [Gross Funeral Home marker]
[homemade marker of marbles laid in concrete]
Stone, W. C. 1855-1919 [Arkansas Death Index shows William C. Stone died 01/17/1920]
[homemade marker of marbles laid in concrete]
Stone, S. C. 1859-1931 [Arkansas Death Index shows Surepta C. Stone died 03/12/1932]
[homemade marker of marbles laid in concrete; a funeral home marker with name gone]
Dodson, William M. Sr. 1874-1959 [Gross Funeral Home marker] 1
Dodson, Arthur 09/03/1876-08/16/1891 "Son of T. M. & C. M. Dodson" [closeup]
Dodson, Claudy 04/17/1878-08/16/1891 "Son of T. M. & C. M. Dodson"
[Arthur and Claudy's markers were located within a fence and could not get in the fence to read; these dates appear to be correct dates]
Biermon, John E. G. 02/07/1876-04/10/1901 [closeup] [his marker was spelled Biermon]
Bierman, Sidney Daniel 06/26/1889-06/06/1890 "Son of J. W. & R. C." [closeup]
Bierman, Charles W. C. 08/20/1874-08/27/1880 "Son of R. C. & J. W." [closeup]
Kilgore, Barry I. 1881-1919
Lewis, William 1867-1916 "Dad"
Lewis, Ida 1878-1950 "Mother" 1
Lent, Clyde L. 11/02/1899-11/29/1964
Lent, Ora L. 11/08/1906 - Open 1
Cook, Harry G. 10/09/1901-06/13/1956
Cook, Margaurite J. 08/11/1871-12/04/1949 [her surname is shown as Reynolds in Arkansas Death Index] 1
Cook, Donald Eugene 05/06/1922-11/02/1969 "Son of John & Edna Cook"
Arkansas Tec5 691 Med Coll Co World War II
Cook, John Roland 12/03/1896-07/13/1981 US Navy World War I 1 
Cook, Edna Leake 01/30/1897-06/19/1994 [closeup] 1 
Caldwell, Kenneth Jack 01/29/1937-11/04/1995 1
Caldwell, Ollie M. 03/02/1902-04/10/1975 1
Caldwell, Fletcher W. 06/03/1908-06/27/1980 Tec 5 US Army World War II 1
Caldwell, Patsy N. "Pat" 03/30/1941-01/27/1995 1
Brown, Jesse F. 04/24/1877-12/14/1960 Ohio 1st Lieutenant 329 Inf World War I Purple Heart
Brown, Elizabeth Sargo 03/07/1905-01/06/1983 1 
Edwards, Will David 06/11/1886-06/01/1965 Illinois Pvt US Army World War I 
Edwards, Sylvia Sargo 11/16/1895-04/09/1979 "Wife of Will David Edwards" 1
Edwards, William A. 10/23/1921-06/24/1977 Cpl US Marine Corps World War II "Son of W. D. and Sylvia"
Kitchens, Charlie M. 05/20/1917-12/18/1970
Disheroon, Andrew T. 1869-1933 1
Henry, Lula no dates2 [Arkansas Death Index shows a Lula Henry died 12/16/1923 in Garland County]
Nail, W. E. died 01/08/1915 3
Raspberry, Mrs. Temperance died 08/10/1940, age 67-8-8 (Caruth)2
Rasberry, W. G. 06/07/1934 age 66 (Gross)2
Terry, B. H. (stone marker - no dates)2
Burials from Obituaries
Cockrell, Beatrice Leora "Bea" Phillips 12/31/1917-02/15/2013
It should be noted that it is believed by some of Matthew Thomas Brown's (about 1831-1865) descendants that he is buried in Rockdale Cemetery in an unmarked grave.
It is possible that Samuel Brown (Matthew's brother) and Samuel's son-in-law, Merrill Dickson Fletcher (also known as Richard), may be buried in Rockdale Cemetery.
Billy Don Sargo (11/16/1932-02/01/1993) was buried in Rockdale Cemetery but was moved to Hollywood Cemetery in Hot Springs.
1 The Melting Pot Genealogical Society has the obituary archived. You may go here to find out how to request an obituary. After reading the instructions on requesting, please be sure to find the obituary in the listings so that you may copy and paste the entire line in your e-mail.
2 from Garland County, Arkansas Tombstone Inscriptions Eastern Volume 1 compiled by Inez E. Cline and Bobbie Jones McLane, 1969
3 from Caruth Funeral Home Records 14 July 1909 to 31 Dec. 1970 compiled by Lewis Stephens