The Bean Cemetery

The Bean Cemetery is a private family cemetery, located off of the road on a knoll in the middle of the woods on the Bert William's road, near Waiteville in Monroe County. A few years ago, DOug Woods and his wife marked the trail to the cemetery, but when I was there last summer, I was unable to see any markings that remained. A small wooden sign at the edge of the road will alert you that you have arrived. You will need to pull your car off the edge of the road as much as possible, park, and walk across the field and into the woods to reach this cemetery.

We believe that the first graves here pre-date 1852, when Archibald Beane's first wife, Amanda Shires Beane [1826-1852], was buried here. Family legend states that slaves were buried around the perimeter of the fence, while family members were buried inside. While there last summer, my Dad and I did locate the remains of a very old fence in places. Rotting timbers indicated where the nearly 200 year old fence posts did stand. In some places, the wire was lying on the ground, covered over by years of falling leaves and forest debris.

At one point, [as late as 1940's], the cemetery was clear, but it is now overtaken by the forest. Large trees are noted to have rocks in their trunks that may actually be the remnants of old stones.

It is impossible to tell who was buried where. Graves are marked in some areas only by sunken depressions in the ground. Others have a bit of rock, or old stone at their heads. On all of the old stones, we found only a single legible marking. The letter "C". A new stone was placed in the 1990's to commemorate the patriarch and matriarch of the Bean family, who are buried here, William Bean and Rachel Wiseman. It was placed on the 207th birthday of William.

Here is the commemorative stone:

Back of the stone

Front of the stone

William M. Bean was born 18 Sept 1792, it is believed in Baltimore, Maryland. He was one of at least two children born to William McBean and Sarah Bane. He was indentured at the age of 12 [on his 12th birthday] in Monroe County.

Two months after his indenture release, when he reached the age of 21, William married Rachel Wiseman, born 23 Apr 1790 to Joseph Wiseman and Elizabeth Bateman in Rockbridge County, Virginia. The couple were married on 20 Nov 1813 in Monroe County. They had 13 children: Emily, Nancy, Lucinda, Elizabeth, Sarah, John, Thomas, Margaret, Archibald, Joseph, James, William and Martha Caroline. [Nancy is buried here.]

Rachel died 7 Nov 1856 [one month after daughter Nancy]. She died from a fever of unknown origin which brought on a stroke. William was killed not far from here. He was in the "Home Guard" during the Civil War, being too far advanced in age to participate. After trailing a group of renegade desserters, who stealing from the local populace, he lead the posse into Wiseman's Hollow, and as he approached a cabin, one of the desserter's shot from the loft of a cabin. The bullet stroke his head and killed him. [In an ironic copy, his namesake son, William, was a US Marshall, and was also shot unawares by a county constable, from behind, in the head and died.] The date was 01 Jan 1864.

We know of at least 2 slaves buried here.

The remainder of the stones follow:

This is the only stone with a legible marking. Looking at the top left you can just make out what looks like a "C".

Another shot of the stone with the "C".

Here you can see remnants of the old wire fence. There are still some old fence staples holding the fence to this tree.

Fallen along the perimeter of the cemetery we noted this rotting fence post.

The remnants of another rotting fence post along the perimeter of the cemetery.

Still another fallen fence post. Look closely and you will see this one still has remnants of the wire fence attached.

An old stone. You can clearly make out the grave to this stone.

Another grave marker.

This stone marks a grave that is depressed a great deal. [About 8" at the center.]

The remnant of another stone.

Another grave marker.

Another stone marker.

Stone marker.

No marking are visible on this larger stone.

This upright stone marker again has no markings that remain visible or legible.

Walter Beane, great-grandson, of William and Rachel, tells stories of William and Rachel to visitors in August 2009.

Great-great-great-great granddaughters of William and Rachel tour Monroe County with Walter Beane and his daughter, Cyndi, in August 2009. Here Walter tells them lore about the cemetery. Walter remembers the cemetery from when he was a young boy, visiting it with his father, John Monroe Bean, and tending to the graves. This was open then, with only one or two trees. As you can see here, it is forested now.

The cemetery faces the old Bean homestead, which remains standing, across the Bert William's road.

Neel Cemetery - Continued

The following grave stones do not have any legible markings on them. So it is impossible to know who they belong to. There are only a few, and except for the cairn, who do not know who is buried in the little cemetery.

The cemetery as seen up close as approaching from the road.

This stone rests directly beneath a tree that appears to be about 250 years old.

This is the only stone that has retained its shape. However, if there were any engravings, weather, and time, have worn them away.

This stone has kept part of its original shape, however, it is rough and no engravings are visible.

This stone is partially embedded in the ground, and is sticking up only about 4-inches.

Another stone that has been worn away by time and weather. No markings visible.

And the last stone: at first I thought this was just a rock, but when you look closely, you can see it has been chiseled and is actually a grave stone. No markings are visible.

Another view of the stone beneath the tree. This is looking out toward the road. As you can see, across the road is an old abandoned farmhouse. How appropriate that the two face one another.

It is a sad, sad place.

Another view of the only complete stone at the cemetery. This is looking toward the east, and Gap Valley, shortly after sunrise. It appears that most of the stones are set in an east to west point in the cemetery. [The odd looking shape on the right is a tree stump, from where a tree was cut down many years ago, and its stump never cleared away.]

This concludes all of the stones at the Neel Cemetery.

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The Neel Cemetery

The Neel Cemetery is located in Gap Mills, of Monroe County, West Virginia. From Route 3, turn onto the Zenith Road. Travel approximately 1/4 mile and then turn left onto the Rowan Road.

You will travel approximately 0.7 miles up this road, just before a very sharp curve to the left [if you come to the curve, you've gone too far!], when you will see a small clump of very old trees in the middle of a rather large field. [Here you can see the trees from the road.] You will need to pull your vehicle as far off the road as possible, and hike to the cemetery. [Watch for burrows and other critter holes, as well as long ago plowed furrows!]

This view is at approximately half-way between the road and the cemetery. You can just begin to see the top edge of the memorial cairn in the center of the trees here.

Here you can see the southern side of the memorial cairn, as you approach from the road.

As you approach, you will see a couple of tombstones to the right [east] of the memorial cairn.

Facing northwest toward the memorial cairn.

The front of the memorial cairn, with its' plaque commemorating the Maxwell sisters and their husbands, who all but one are buried here.

The Memorial Plaque [Placed about ca. 1905-1910.]

ANDREW CROSIER

ELIZABETH MAXWELL CROSIER

ROBERT DUNBAR

HANNAH MAXWELL DUNBAR

OWEN NEEL

ISABELLA MAXWELL NEEL

THOMAS STEELE

MARGARET MAXWELL STEELE

THE FOUR MAXWELL SISTER AND

THEIR HUSBANDS CAME FROM LANCASTER

COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, AND SETTLED

IN THIS VALLEY ABOUT 1799. THIS IS

THE RESTING PLACE OF ALL THESE PIONEERS

EXCEPT ANDREW CROSIER WHO DIED IN

TENNESSEE.

The four Maxwell sisters and their husbands are considered some of the original settlers into "Gap Valley" [now known as Sweet Springs Valley and Gap Mills].

The remainder of the cemetery will follow tomorrow.

New Zion Union Church Cemetery - Continued

WILLIAM PRESTON                    ROWENA BEANE

BEANE                    ALIFF

1860----------1893                    1865----------1956

William Ballard Preston Beane was born 06 Jun 1859 in Monroe County, [West] Virginia to William McHarvey Bean and Margaret Smith Parkins. He was the fourth born of eight children to the couple.

He married Rowena Ann Porterfield [1856-1965] in 1881 in Monroe County. The couple had five children: Margaret, Effie, Nettie, Ammie and Willie Eulalia.

"Billy" died at the age 33 from bleeding ulcers.

Rowena Ann Porterfield was born 06 Apr 1865 to James Allen Porterfield and Isabella Frances Ballard. She was one of seven siblings.

Following Billy's death in 1893, Rowena married [2] Joseph Preston McCormick [1842-1915]on 28 Nov 1896 in Monroe County. The couple had five children: Arbana, Norah, Edwin, Mary and James.

After Joseph's death in 1915, Rowena married [3] Samuel Lewis Bruffey [1858-1926] in Monroe County in 1917. They had no issue.

Following Samuel's death in 1926, Rowena married [4] Calvin Aliff [1856-1941]. No issue.

Rowena died 09 Dec 1956 in Union, Monroe, West Virginia. She was layed to rest here, beside her first husband. [Her second husband, Joseph Preston McCormick was layed to rest beside his first wife, Billy's aunt, Martha Caroline Bean.]

ZERNIE JACOB

CALDWELL

SEPT. 22, 1898

JAN. 6, 1966

Zernie Jacob Caldwell was born 22 Sep 1898 to Jacob Francis Caldwell and Betty J. Huffman, in Waiteville, Monroe, West Virginia.

He married Betty Unknown [date unknown]. The couple had at least three children: Annie, Lee and Elizabeth.

"Zern" died 06 Jan 1966.

This concludes the current amount of inventory I have on the New Zion Union Church.

It is my desire that during the coming summer I will be able to do a complete catalog of the graves currently there.

New Zion Union Church Cemetery - Continued

WM. M. BEAN

DIED MAY

14, 1890

Aged 58 Yrs.

1 Mos. & 4 Ds.

William McHarvey Bean was born on 26 Aug 1832 near Zenith, Monroe, [West] Virginia. He was the 12th born of 13 children children to William Bean and Rachel Wiseman.

He married Margaret Smith Perkins [1826-1891] on 16 Aug 1852 in Monroe County. The couple had eight children:  Unnamed infant; Viranda C.; Samuel; William; Viranda Elizabeth ["Betty"]; John; Alice "Allie"; and Nancy "Nan".

William and shot and killed by a county constable over the dispute of a lien on a buggy. He was shot through the back window of the buggy he was driving, in the back of the head and died shortly thereafter. William was a double-agent during the Civil War, and was a U.S. Marshall at the time he was shot and killed. [His father was also shot in the head and killed in 1864 while heading the "Home Guard".] His wife, Margaret, died one year later on 11 Jun 1891. Official cause of death is "weak heart"; the family story is that she "grieved herself to death". The couple share the same stone, he listed on one side, she on the other.

 

WILLIAM MADISON LaFON

MAR 20, 1888

FEB. 4, 1941

FRIEND   CITIZEN   STATESMAN

William Madison Lafon was born on 20 Mar 1888 to Sylvester Lafon and Sena Ann Williams in Wiateville, Monroe, West Virginia. It is currently unknown if he had siblings.

It is unknown if he ever married or not. The following is taken from "The Political Graveyard" located at : http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/ladislas-lair.html and found on 12 Mar 2010, 2:43 PM:

William Madison Lafon, also found as William M., William, and as Bill Lafon was the son of Sylvester Seberg Lafon and Sena Ann Williams. He was a Democrat, and a Lawyer. He was the Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney from 1917-1921; a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, 1924 (alternate) and 1940. He was a member of the West Virginia State Senate House of Delegates from Monroe County, 1933-1938; a member of the West Virginia State Senate, 10th District, 1939-1942 (died in office in 1941); and was President of the West Virginia State Senate in 1939.

William Madison Lafon died 4 Feb 1941.

WM. ROBERT CALDWELL

1883-1950

William Robert Caldwell was born 15 Nov 1883 in Craig County, Virginia, the son of Jacob Francis Caldwell and Betty J. Huffman. He was one of at least twelve children. He was a farmer.

He married Bertha Bostic [1887-1976] 29 Oct 1907 in Monroe County. The couple had nine children: Marshall, Geraldine, Virgil, Leona, Eula, Cordelia, Hazel, Roscoe, and an unnamed male infant.

He died 24 Feb 1950.

WM. L. DUNCAN

MAY 13, 1821

JUNE 13, 1906

William Lawson Duncan was born 13 Nov 1821 in Gravel Hill, Giles County, Virginia to John Lawson Duncan and Hannah Tillet. He was one of at least eight children.

He married [1] Susannah Miller [1824-1857] in 1844 in Giles County, Virginia; he married [2] Jane Wiseman [d. 1859] in 1858; and he married [3] Mary Thompkins Thurmond [1824-1903] in 1863 in Amherst County, Virginia.

William died 13 Jun 1906 in Monroe County. His stone is shared by himself and all three wives.

New Zion Union Church Cemetery - Continued

WALTER W. BELL

SEPT. 3, 1875

DEC. 22, 1932

No known information.

OUR DARLING

WILLARD

HARMON

HARLESS

DEC. 22, 1930

DEC. 26, 1930

Another little Angel

before the Heavenly

throne.

No known information.

WILLIE C.

SON OF

W.A.   A.B.

EPLING

BORN

JULY 18, 1895

DIED

DEC. 25, 1905

William Clinton Epling was born 18 July 1895 to William A. Epling and Alice "Allie" Bean, in Waiteville, Monroe, West Virginia. "Willie" was the eldest of seven children born to the couple [only two reached adulthood].

He died 25 Dec 1905 from diptheria. This tombstone has the other four children engraved on the remaining three sides [two of the daughters died the same night and are buried together; they share the stone's side.]

FATHER

WILLIAM EDWARD

TOLLEY

OCT. 1, 1881

MARCH 8, 1946

William Edward Tolley was born 1 Oct 1881 in Kokomo, Indiana, his parents are unknown.

He married Gillie M. Ray [1898-1973] about 1916. The couple had nine children: Mike, Patrick, Nora, Sherman, Richard, Dorothy, Mildred, Freda and Harold.

He died 8 Mar 1946 in Monroe County, WV.