Gibbins & Griffin Cemeteries

Contributed by Sue Hendrix Davis and Linda Jo Hendrix Dean

While reading different cemeteries, we decided to add the names of parents, spouses, marriage dates, county and state where marriage occurred, and obituaries or stories appearing in newspapers about the deceased when we were fortunate to find this information. Our sole purpose in doing this is to assist other researchers in their endeavor to find information about their loved ones. We sincerely hope we do not offend anyone in our effort to preserve the names and memories of those dear ones who passed this way before us. We regret any errors we may have made in identification, and we will appreciate and welcome any corrections.

GIBBINS CEMETERY

Read June 5, 2003 by Garner Richardson, Sue Hendrix Davis, and Linda Hendrix Dean

From Lawrenceburg go to Leoma, turn left beside the post office onto Rabbit Trail Road (Hwy. 96), go to Center Point, turn left in the big curve onto Richardson Road, at end of Richardson Road, turn right, cross bridge, turn left at the first little lane after crossing bridge, go past the old Jobe Norwood house and barn, to the end of the lane and the cemetery is near a tree above the pump house of the Roberta Norwood Brown residence.

Sue Davis said she had been looking for this cemetery for twenty years. Garner Richardson, grandson of Jobe Garner Norwood, said he used to play in this cemetery when he was a kid, and he would show us where it was. He said he remembered a little lamb on top of one of the tombstones, and he would stand and rub and pat that little lamb.

Well, here it was June and snakes, ticks, chiggers, fire ants and numerous other little creatures were out and about, but we followed Garner through the weeds, briars, vines, and etc. of the grown up field to get to the graveyard. Garner was in front with a shovel. I had a hoe and was behind him, and Sue brought up the rear. We did not find the graveyard; so we paraded back to Roberta’s house, and she told us it was between the tall tree and another tree. Garner picked up the shovel and goes back through the weeds, briars, vines, and etc. Roberta hollered and told him he should be standing right at one of the tombstones. He hollered back that he had found one. Sue grabs the hoe and tries to follow his path. I decided not to press my luck. I didn’t get snake bit the first time; so I took a seat under a shade tree, and Sue hollered the names and dates back for me to write down.

In August of 2003, Sue and Linda made another trek back to the cemetery to make pictures. We had to cut briars and brambles to get to the tombstones, but we could not believe the little tombstones were in such great shape. They were overturned. We set them upright and could read them as they were very clean. The two Martin tombstones were larger, and both were broken. We cleaned around them, placed the pieces together, made pictures but left them on the ground.

GIBBINS, Elizabeth G. b. 23 Jan 1801, d. 5 Nov 1897
W/O James Gibbins, D/O Adam and _________ Loven

Obituary: Third District -- If you will allow me space in the column of the Democrat, I will redress a few items from the third. Signed, Sugar Creek Boy.
    Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbins passed quietly away on last Friday morning about 7 o’clock at the age of 96 years, nine months and 12 days. She professed religion when she was 18 years of age. She joined the Primitive Baptist Church at Morson’s Ford, Virginia and was baptized in the Morson River. Mrs. Gibbins was the daughter of Adam Loven of Sharlott County, Virginia. She was born in Sharlott County, Virginia January 23, 1801 and died November 5, 1897 at age 96. She was married to James ______ Gibbins in the year of 1821 in the above named county and state.
    They moved to Monroe County, Mississippi in the year of 1821 where they resided two years. They then moved to Giles County, Tennessee in the year of 1824, and located on Sugar Creek. Mr. & Mrs. Gibbins went to Tishimingo County, Mississippi in the year of 1857 and resided there until 1866 when they moved back to Lawrence County, Tennessee in the third district on Sugar Creek, where they lived until their deaths.
    Mr. Gibbins died July 5, 1870. Mrs. Gibbins was living with her daughter, Mrs. Mary Martin when she died. She is the mother of 12 children, 8 sons and 4 daughters, 7 of her children are dead and five still live to mourn her death. Mrs. Gibbins’ father, Adam Loven, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War under Gen. Latham Green.
    The life of Mrs. Gibbins was indeed an exemplary one, a life worthy of imitation, to know her was to love her. When she permanently located in this district, she joined the Primitive Baptist Church at Second Creek, and made a useful member. During her sickness of five weeks suffering, she was cheerful, kind and obedient, and was conscious until her death. In the death of this noble woman, the people of this community loose a true friend. We never knew a woman more honest and upright, very decided in her convictions and most unbending in all question involving conscience and she had a great contempt for a wrong act.
    Rev. W. W. Legg conducted the funeral services in a very sympathetic manner, the vast crowd that assembled at the family burying ground testified to her high esteem which she was held in this community. Ten children of James and Elizabeth Gibbins were named in his will {two may have died as infants or as young children}. Those named were Napoleon B. Gibbins, Bolivar G. Gibbins, John Q. Gibbins, James Marion Gibbins, Joseph G. Gibbins, Andrew H. Gibbins, Ebenezer F. Gibbins, Laura A. Gibbins Council {married John R. Council}, Angeroney E. Gibbins {married James Hue Smith} Mary W. Gibbins Martin {married Lewis Martin}

GIBBINS, James b. 7 Sep 1784, d. 5 Jul 1870
H/O Elizabeth Loven

        MARTIN, Lewis W. b. 18 Sep 1844, d. 22 Jul 1875
       H/O Mary W. Gibbins 

        MARTIN, Mary W. b. 2 Oct 1842, d. 13 Feb 1918
       W/O Lewis W. Martin, D?O James and Elizabeth Loven Gibbins

GRIFFIN CEMETERY

This is one of the oldest burial grounds in Lawrence County. It was hit by a tornado many years ago and some of the rocks may have been destroyed at that time. Trees were uprooted and fell on the cemetery. The graveyard covered about an acre of ground and has some unmarked graves plus graves marked only by field rock. Only four graves had markers. This cemetery is located across the creek from the Freeman Cemetery on the old Griffin farm and on a hill behind the house and spring.

       GRIFFIN, Isaac b. 5 Feb 1838, d. 15 Dec 1861
       S/O Washington and Mary G. Jones Griffin

        GRIFFIN, Jarrett Lewis b. 31 Dec 1836, d. 6 Sep 1879
       H/O Malina Amanda Appleton {married 18 November 1869 in Giles Co., TN}
       S/O Washington and Mary G. Jones Griffin

        GRIFFIN, Lucus F. b. 13 Sep 1870, d. 10 Jan 1872
       S/O Jarrett Lewis and Malina Amanda Appleton Griffin
       Lucus F. Griffin, according to family information, drowned in their spring.

        GRIFFIN, Malina Amanda 19 Jun 1846 16 May 1886
       W/O Jarrett Lewis Griffin, D/O Oliver D. and Mary W. Powell Appleton

May 20, 2009                   

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