Many members of Pioneer

Magnolia Cemetery

By Kathy S. Johnson

The County Record,

September 9, 1993, Page 6

 

 

 

When Jesse Wesley Bailey, Sr. moved to Calhoun County from Marion County, South Carolina in 1851 with his wife and eight children, little did he know that he would become one of the forefathers of many residents of this county.

            Following the death of his wife, Catherine Coward Bailey, shortly after their trek to Florida, Bailey married the widow Frances Ayers Cutts in 1861.  They had a daughter, Cathryn, who was the first person known to be buried at Magnolia Cemetery (around 1860-1867) located on Magnolia Church Road off Highway 71 north.  Most of the other Bailey children are also buried at Magnolia Cemetery.

 

 

            Frances Ayers Cutts (1824-80) – Tellitha Ann Frances Ayers Cutts Bailey – was the daughter of Captain John (“Captain Jack”) Ayers and his first wife.  “Captain Jack”, 1791-1858, another forefather of most of the original residents in Calhoun County, is buried in Ayers Cemetery.

            Jesse Bailey (the original pioneer – Magnolia Cemetery is the final resting place of quite a few of his children, grandchildren and great and great great grandchildren also named Jesse and Jessie) founded the Magnolia Baptist Church which adjoins the cemetery near the Red Oak Community.  He served as a County Commissioner, a timber man, cattleman and farmer.  Bailey also served as Justice of the Peace in the Red Oak Community for several years.  He died in 1863 and is buried about one mile north of Schuman’s Ferry on the Chipola River.  Bailey actually started the ferry which was first called Bailey Ferry.  The late Circuit Court Judge, William Lamar Bailey, was on of his great great grandsons.

            The neatly plotted cemetery contains many families including a large number of the Ayers clan.  A granite bench nestled along the edge of the cemetery is in memory of Herbert Spencer Ayers, a member of the U.S. Air Force, who was lost at sea in 1951 during the Korean Conflict.  He was the great great grandson of “Captain Jack.”  The inscription reads “In loving memory of our son and brother, S/Sgt. Herbert Spencer Ayers, 509 Maint. Sqdn., USAF, February 25, 1929-March 23, 1951.  Even the seas shall give up their dead.”

            In many of the family plots at Magnolia Cemetery, one finds a mother and father along with several children – some stillborn, some who lived only a few days, and some who lived a brief few years during the extremely rough times.  Some child’s graves are noted as “Doll Baby,” “Little Angel,” “Baby Jessy,” and “Baby Jody.”

            The grave of Edna Lee Parrish Bailey (1905-42) is flanked by her children [assumed, please correct me if I am wrong] Arlon Ozell Bailey (1929-34) and twins Curtis and Otis Bailey, who were born July 21, 1935 and who died a week apart in November of 1935.

            George F. (1900-64) and Ida L. (1899-1962) Traylor are buried near their children Charles W. (1929-30), Curtis (1930).  Duie (1931-32) and Annie R. (1933-34).  The loss of one child, let alone several in the course of a few years, is incomprehensible.

            Family names, other than those previously noted interred at Magnolia Cemetery include Stanford, Lewis, White, Knight, Deese, Hiers, Hires, Pippin, Sasser, McDonald, Rollings, King, Jones, Holland, Melvin, French, Southwell, Fowler, Williams, Mitchell, Chason, Johnson, Hall, Whitaker, Snell, Stewart, Couch, Thomas Butler, Dawson, Berry, Beck, Segers, Walker, Parrish, Mahan, Spivey, Weathers, Simmons, Capps, Seaborn, Morris, Smith, Austin, Owens, McCrone, Adams, Sims, Durham, Rhames, Young, Brown Williams, Cain, Garrett, Hinkle, Pettis, Long, Anderson, Crabtree, Dunnam (or Dunnham) and Simpson. 

 

MAGNOLIA BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY

RED OAK, FLORIDA

(Partial survey only)

 

 

Last Name

First Name

Maiden Name

Birth date

Death date

Comment

AYERS

Marintha Jane

 

27 Apr 1874

4 Aug 1954

Mom

AYERS

Harry

 

20-Oct-1906

20 Oct 1952

 

AYERS

Allie Mae

 

17 Nov 1896

17 Mar 1969

Mac’s wife

AYERS

Jessie McKinley (Mac)

1896

1977

 

AYERS

Hattye

Berry

11-Jun-1900

27 Mar 1939

 

AYERS

Ledla

Hood

10 Sep 1898

29 Oct 1989

 

AYERS

William A.

 

 

 

Pvt. 78 Spruce Air Service

AYERS

Ann

Bailey

13 Feb 1824

Abt 1880

 

BAILEY

Jessie W. Sr.

 

1811

1876

 

BAILEY

Cathey

 

1860

1867

 

BAILEY

John Thomas

 

 

 

infant lived only two weeks

BAILEY

William Albert

 

02-Oct-1919

24 Jan 1947

 

ANDERSON

Sherry Jean

 

27-May-1974

28 May 1985

 

CAPPS

Henry R.

 

01 Jan 1880

11 Aug 1948

 

CAPPS

Henry Jackson

 

1851

1923

 

CAPPS

Ann Eliza

 

1860

1936

 

CAPPS

Alton F.

 

6 Dec 1894

28 Oct 1975

 

CAPPS

Lewis L. Jr.

 

04-Oct-1931

5 Nov 1989

 

CAPPS

Wilson Allen

 

1919

1961

(W. W. II)

CAPPS

H. S.

 

02-Mar-1921

 

 

CAPPS

Julia

 

14-Mar-1925

 

 

CAPPS

C.G.

 

16 Aug 1884

2 Oct 1958

 

CAPPS

America

 

27 Jul 1892

17 Apr 1944

 

CAPPS

Cecial

 

27-Oct-1916

5 Jan 1954

 

CAPPS

William Eugene

1923

1983

 

CAPPS

Lewis  

 

24-Mar-1906

1 Sep 1982

 

CAPPS

Lucy

 

03-Jun-1903

7 Sep 1975

 

CAPPS

Elton Albert

 

18-Apr-1902

14 Nov 1962

 

BAILEY

Martha

Ayers

26 Jul 1874

11 Dec 1930

 

 

 

Magnolia Cemetery, Calhoun County, Florida

Directions: Take 275 north to Red Oak and turn left at top of Hill  you'll see Red Oak, past that and look for Magnolia Baptist Church and you will see the cemetery, here is what I have copied it is not a complete copied of all the graves, only my family.......Beverly

From:  Beverly Mount Douds e-mail  [email protected]

 

Typed for Internet by: Peggy Riley e-mail [email protected]

Web Page by: Betty James Smith, 27 February 2000