Many members of Pioneer
Magnolia
Cemetery
By Kathy S.
Johnson
The County Record,
September 9,
1993, Page 6
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.
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