THOSE OLD CEMETERIES
by Ed Stout

Just finding some old, nearly forgotten cemetery could be a real problem. The interesting article written by Lovell Fulbright and printed in the last issue of the FFA Newsletter amply points up this fact! Perhaps a little additional information will be interesting and also helpful in Lovell's current effort looking forward to some cemetery restoration. Approximately ten miles north and two miles east of Lebanon, along the county road marked 'BB', is located the old Capt. J.H. Fulbright 'Estate'. The old farm is now a large dairy and beef operation owned and operated by the Marvin Hoffman family. The Fulbright Cemetery, still a part of the farm, is located east of the county road, across and slightly north of the renovated estate home. The Hooper Cemetery is about a half mile northeast of the Fulbright Cemetery. Both cemeteries certainly need and are deserving of extensive renovation efforts.

The Hooper Cemetery is located on the old Hooper home place. There, in 1991, was a mobile home occupied by a very pleasant couple named Goodwin. The Hooper Cemetery seems to predate the Fulbright Cemetery and contains the remains of several Fulbrights as well as several of the Hooper family, among others. While there are several Fulbright graves in the general cemetery area there is also an approximately thirty foot square space enclosed by a chain link fence, with a narrow gate, and all of the graves in this enclosure appear to be of the Fulbright family. Just outside that enclosure is another small, stone walled area with an uninscribed stone at one end, and has been said that here some of the slaves were buried. However it is believed the slave graves, with their uninscribed stones, are in the far eastern end of the cemetery. The stones mentioned above are about 9x9x18, and they appear to have been moved, and have been placed in an oblong arrangement some three feet high in this northwestern corner of the cemetery. This work is believed to have been done years ago by someone who was cleaning up the cemetery, probably not realizing the significance of the stones. The stones now surround some small trees that probably have grown there since the placement of the stones.

The cemetery is made even more difficult to find by its being unmarked on the county maps of the area. It is best located by starting from the junction of Laclede County roads 'H' and 'BB', then going south less than one half mile, bearing left (east) at the first fork in the county road. Next continue on southeasterly until turning due south. The road then will continue on for a short distance before again turning to the southeast. In this area a place in the fence may be seen where perhaps once was a gate to allow entry of funeral vehicles, but there is no sign of a driveway remaining. About midway along the short portion of the roadway running due north and south is a large oak tree directly in the fence line on the east side of the road. From this point a cross fence goes due east through a grove of scrub timber and underbrush consisting mostly of briars and thorn bushes. Follow that fence a short distance to the northwest cemetery boundary corner. Beware of chiggers, those in residence are known to be particularly vicious.

The cemetery should be thoroughly cataloged. More stones will become unreadable as time passes. The following listing has been compiled from work of Lowell Fulbright, Mr. and Mrs. W. Joseph Mangold and of the writer. The key numbers shown in the following correspond to those on a big Fulbright genealogy chart currently available through the FFA.

IN THE FULBRIGHT CEMETERY