Mt Moriah Methodist Church

Mount Moriah Methodist Church, School and Cemetery
Pickens County,  AL

Contact: William (Bill) Corders

Information and photos provided by William (Bill) Corders, Mary Ruth Gaskin Sanders, Alberta Clark Bourne, Trudy Jane (Cookie) Jones and Mary Lee Prude. Cemetery survey done by Bobbye Winston.

Mount Moriah  Methodist Church
in declining years
 

Mount Moriah Methodist Church was organized shortly after the Civil War ended by the black people in Benevola. Prior to this time, they had attended the other churches in the Community. The Pearly Sanders family deeded the land for the church. Flora Gaskin is the only living member today. The church is not standing any longer but Mount Moriah Cemetery adjoins this old church (see cemetery census below) and is a well kept cemetery that is still used.

 

Van and Flora Gaskins inside the old Mt. Moriah Church (l) and walking to church (r)
Taken in early 1990's.

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Mt. Moriah School

A school stood near the old Mt. Moriah church and served the black community for many years. It was a one room schoolhouse and the teacher taught grades one through six.  Mattie Belle Spencer was one of the teachers.  The school closed around 1946 and students went to Summerville School near Aliceville, AL.

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Mt. Moriah Cemetery

The first person buried in a marked grave at Mt. Moriah Cemetery was Frank Hinton on Jan. 28, 1950. The land for this cemetery was  donated by Jessie Carl Craft (1882-1944) that lived in the Benevola Community.

 

 

Scenes of Mt. Moriah Church Cemetery, located on J. D. McCaa Road in Benevola Community
in  Pickens County, AL

Markers at Mt. Moriah Cemetery:
 


Blair, Elmore (Pvt. U.S. Army WW I) b. Dec. 24, 1895 d. Oct. 3, 1975
Blair, Robirter b. March 7, 1901 d. Sept. 19, 1985
Bonner, Marie b. ? d. Oct. 5, 1979
Brown, Frances Marie Bonner  b. May 18, 1943 d. Oct. 11, 2007
Burl, Louella b. Nov. 25, 1939 d. Aug. 2, 2006
Burl, Jr., James H. b. Feb. 12, 1926 d. Oct. 12, 2006
Clark, James (Son) b. March 14, 1919 d. March 24, 2007
Clark, Rosie Mae Layton b. Jan. 3, 1926 d. Oct. 12, 2006
Cleveland, Roy Lee b. April 15, 1948 d. July 18, 1957
Gaskin, Mary Kate b. Jan. 1919 d. Nov. 1972
Gaskins, Dosha Mae Owens b. March 4, 1921 d. Aug. 2, 1989
Gaskins, Raymond Dudley b. Dec. 20, 1919 d. Dec. 12, 1971
Gaskins, Flora Lavender  b. 1917 (still living)
Gaskins, Luther James (SP4 U.S. Army Vietnam) b. March 4, 1943 d. April 26, 1999
Gaskins, Mattie Duff b. Feb. 23, 1882 d. Oct. 5, 1967 (Wife of Major Gaskins)
Gaskins, Mattie P. b. Jan. 24, 1947 d. Aug. 20, 1984
Gaskins, Sr. Van b. Aug. 30, 1913 d. Feb. 1, 1995
Gaskins, Sr., Luther (Pvt. U.S. Army) b. March 8, 1923 d. July 5, 1991
Giles, Mandie b. Feb. 2, 1884 d. Jan. 29, 1974
Giles, Levy b. April 13, 1888 d. Feb. 23, 1952
Hinton, Frank b. Dec. 11, 1926 d. Jan. 28, 1950
Hinton, Hugh C. b. May 2, 1946 d. April 30, 1992
Hinton, Jack b. March 10, 1923 d. Dec. 10, 1996
Hinton, Lucille O. b. Oct. 5, 1900 d. Aug. 21, 1965
Hinton, Owens (U. S. Navy) b. Dec. 11, 1926 d. May 26, 1980
Hinton, Rev. Thomas C. b. Sept. 2, 1935 d. March 21, 2002
Hinton, Rhonda b. May 28, 1973 d. ? not readable
Hinton, Sr., Lonnie Will b. Jan. 30, 1925 d. Feb. 16, 1985
Hinton, Walter “Pap” b. Aug. 7, 1930 d. Sept. 26, 1996
Hinton, Willie (CPL U.S. Army WW II) b. Sept. 9, 1921 d. Oct. 13, 1979
Hinton, Willie b. Dec. 3, 1888 d. Sept. 13, 1968
Hughes, Jeff (Pct. U.S. Army WW I) b. April 4, 1896 d. Nov. 19, 1981
Hughes, Eva b. Aug. 1898 d. Feb. 19, 1961
Knox, Cecil b. Aug. 12, 1923 d. Aug. 1977
Knox, Pearline b. May 12, 1911 d. Dec. 13, 2004
Lanier, Rosie L. b. Feb. 11, 1910 d. April 7, 1997
Lanier, Eola b. Dec. 5, 1915 d. Aug. 22, 1995
Lanier, Madia B. b. Jan. 6, 1946 d. Oct. 2, 1998
Lanier, Sr. Howard b. March 25, 1903 d. Oct. 22, 1981
Lanier, Wilbur b. March 13, 1908 d. July 15, 1972
Miller, Mamie b. March 14, 1899 d. Nov. 2, 1998
Moore, Aslean  Lanier b. June 15, 1910 d. March 7, 1979
Moore, Willie F. b. 1938 d. 1999
Noland, Gordon (U.S. Army Korea) b. Dec. 22, 1931 d. Dec. 9, 2000
Owens, Earnest (Pvt. U.S. Army WWII) b. March 24, 1918 d. Aug. 27, 1972
Owens, Jim b. April 3, 1904 d. Aug. 17, 1964
Owens, Will (Pvt. U.S. Army) b. Sept. 7, 1922 d. Jan. 29, 1989
Rice-Wilder, Carlen b. March 22, 1969 d. Sept. 13, 1998
Rodgers, Will b. Oct. 13, 1890 d. Dec. 9, 1963
Sanders,  Daniel b. Aug. 2, 1944 d. Nov. 24, 1991
Sanders, Eldora (Doe Baby) b. Feb. 25, 1971 d. Aug. 11, 1996
Thomas, Georgia b. March 24, 1902 d. March 6, 1982
Thomas, Willie S. (U.S. Army WW II) b. July 15, 1921 d. Oct. 12, 1996
Wilder, Linda D. Rice b. July 13, 1958 d. July 27, 2004
Wilder, Mabel G. b. Nov. 20, 1924 d. Dec. 9, 1963
Williams, Rev. Jessie James b. May 29, 1924 d. Oct. 23, 2001

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The following are people that lived in Benevola at sometime in their lives. 

Frances Marie Bonner Brown

Louella Duff Burl

Addie Owens Gaskins
(Wife of Kirksey Gaskin)

Van Gaskins
Kirksey Gaskins Kirk Jeff Gaskins
born: 11 Jun 1910 died: 10 May 1983
 
Luther Gaskins
b. March 8, 1923 died: 05 Jul 1991
 
Willie Major Gaskins
(brother of Van and Dud Gaskin.  He was the oldest brother.)
b. 20 Dec 1904 died:Jan 1978
 

James (Son) Clark

Rosa Mae Layton Clark
(Wife of James (Son ) Clark)
Dosha Mae Owens Gaskins( Wife of Dud Gaskins)

Luther James Gaskin
Gaskins, Mattie Duff
(Wife of Major Gaskins) 
 Raymond Dudley Gaskins
 ( Husband of Dosha Mae Owens Gaskins) 

Viree Peoples Owen
(Wife of Jim Owens)

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The following are buried at Mt. Moriah but are not marked graves:

 Bell, Dosha Gaskin b. Dec. 29, 1898 d. Aug. 31, 1961
Bell, William b. ca. 1899 d. Aug. 1965 (husband of Dosha Gaskin Bell)
Blair, Elizabeth b. June 22, 1966 d. July 28, 1992
Brown, Della Gaskin Aug. 13, 1900 d. Jan. 7, 1964  (sister of Van and Dud Gaskin)
Camons, Lola Duff  b. Feb. 22, 1917 d. April 29,  1984.  Married Joseph (Joe) Jones who later changed his name to
                    Joe Camons.  (Parents of Trudy Jane (Cookie) Jones)
Duff, Reid  b. July 16, 1918 d. April 1983 (son of Frank Less Duff)
Ford, Jr. Wilbert Husband of Mary Lucy Moore.
Gaskin, Addie b. April 4, 1916 d. March 1980 (Wife of Kirksey Gaskin)
Gaskins, Kirk b. June 11, 1910  d. May 10, 1983  (Son of Mattie Duff Gaskin)
Gaskin, Kirksey b. Nov. 24, 1908  d. July 22, 1982 (husband of Addie Owens Gaskin)
Gaskin, Lathan b. Feb. 1948 d. 1989
Gaskins, Luther b. March 8, 1923 d. 1991
Gaskins, Rosie  Wife of J. T. Gaskins.
Gaskins, Willie Major  b. Dec. 20, 1904 d. Jan. 1978 (brother of Van and Dud Gaskin.  He was the oldest brother.)
Hood, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Owens b. Jan. 24, 1914 d. Nov. 9, 1968
Hopkins, Virginia b. Aug. 12, 1926 d. Sept. 4, 2000 Buried: Sept. 10, 2000
Knox, Essex b. July 16, 1892  d. Jan. 1970  (Father of Cecil Knox)
Knox, Mattie
Moore, Willie D., son of John Wesley and Aslean Moore. 
Rice, R. B.
Simmons, Cecil b. Jan. 26, 1916 d. March 1985

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The following are buried at Bethesda Cemetery (right side of fence) in Benevola, AL.

Bonner, Nancy Ruth (Nude) Duff  b. July 1, 1921 or 1922  d. June 22, 1954.  Mother of Frances Bonner Brown.
Duff, Frank  (no information)
Duff, Jr. Frank Lessie (Less) b. Jan. 10, 1914 d. ca. 1956
Duff, Ella Owens b. March 12, 1899 d. Oct. 24, 1943
Owens, Jim b. May 1871 d. Jan. 1923 (husband of Vira Peoples Owens)
Owens, Vira Peoples b. March 15, 1880  d. Oct. 4, 1937 (Wife of Jim Owens)

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There is an old Duncan Cemetery located in the woods off Maughan Road in the Benevola Community.  There are a number of graves there but markers may have been destroyed. The following are known to be buried there:

Gaskins, Major  B. Feb. 23, 1878 and d. March 21, 1941.    (Father of Van and Dud Gaskins)
Jordan, Tom (no information)
Knox, Mattie Peebles  b. March 1868.  d. unknown.  Sister of Vira Peebles Owens (Wife of Jim Owens.)
Knox, Will b. ca 1878  d. Dec. 12, 1946.  Husband of Mattie Knox.
Gaskins, Stella (sister of Van and Dud Gaskins)
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Others from the community to be remembered are:

Clark, James A.  (Father of James (Son) Clark.  B. Jan. 5, 1885 D. Nov. 12, 1959. Buried in Bethany Cemetery, Pickens Co. AL.ROSESMb2.gif (4008 bytes)

Clark, Mamie Blair Wife of James A. Clark and sister of Elmore Blair. Buried in Bethany Cemetery, Pickens Co. AL.  B. Nov. 30, 1887 D. March 2, 1971.

Jones, Franklin Delano (Dick)  b. April 23, 1948 d.  ?  Burned in VA Cemetery in New Jersey. 
 He was son of Lola Camons. 

Jones, Reginald b. March 2, 1956 d. March 10, 1998.  Buried in New Jersey in VA cemetery. 
He was grandson of Lola Camons and son of Trudy Jane (Cookie) Jones.

Layton, Patrick  Father of Louie Layton.  Buried in Bethany Cemetery in Pickens Co. AL.

Layton, Betty Mae Owens b. Dec. 6,  1909  d. Sept. 4, 1967.  Buried in  Bethany Cemetery. Pickens Co., AL. Wife of Louie Layton.

Layton, Eddie B.  b. July 16, 1930  d. Nov. 11, 2001. Buried in Tuscaloosa, AL. Son of Louie and Betty Layton.

Layton, Louie b. Dec. 12, 1904  d. June 1972 Buried in Bethany Cemetery, Pickens Co. AL.

Layton, Wesley  b. Jan. 10, 1927  d. April 23, 2005.  Buried in Detroit, MI. Son of Louie and Betty Layton.

Layton, Willie B.  b. Aug. 17, 1928  d. May 9, 1995.  Buried in Beechwood, Ohio. Son of Louie and Betty Layton.

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