Stewart Cemetery |
Contributed for use in UsGenWeb and Manatee FLGenWeb archives by volunteers: Melissa Brewer and Beverly Mott Alstrom
In memory of Bethany historian, Vera Dupree, who carefully preserved the history contained below, and with grateful acknowledgement to the kind people of Bethany Baptist Church who shared it."
Click on pictures for enlarged versions.
Walking up on this cemetery is like walking into a dream. It is buried in the scrub woods down a sandy trail that continually narrows. It takes you by surprise as you round a curve in the trail and the clearing appears.
So many stones, for a "lost" cemetery! Maintenance is needed but at least the undergrowth is kept low enough that the stones are clearly visible. It is also fenced and gated.
There are a couple of broken stones, and most of the graves are marked only by low concrete posts with no dates or names. The transcriptions for these were taken from the burial records provided by Bethany Baptist Church. Many thanks!
The remaining stones are in surprisingly good condition considering their age and lack of maintenance.
This cemetery is down a gated private road, behind a home. Do not attempt to visit without contacting the property owner in advance.
Every marked stone in the cemetery is on this page.
Introduction and photos by Beverly Mott Alstrom
Transcription and Description:
The community of Bethany was once called O'Riley and then Riley. The Stewart Cemetery in Bethany is approx. 2.5 miles east of the Bethany Baptist Church on SR 64 at Verna Bethany Road. The cemetery is southwest of Kibler Ranch Road on private property. The Manatee River lies to the south of the cemetery. The burial ground is approx. 70' x 70', surrounded by field fencing mounted on wooden posts. It is in a heavily wooded area, down a winding dirt trail on private property. (Note: No public access without permission of the property owner.)
In 1888, J.B. Lamb and other Florida pioneers organized the Manatee Baptist Church of Christ at the Rye Post Office. Shortly afterward, settlers John and Joann Stewart donated a parcel of land for a burial ground: the Stewart Cemetery.
In 1894, faithful settlers built a church 1/2 mile west of what is now SR 64 and Verna Bethany Road, near the Corbitt Branch of the Manatee River. They changed the name of the church from Manatee Baptist Church of Christ to Bethany Missionary Baptist Church.
By 1895, church members were already planning the construction of a new church at what is now the SE corner of SR 64 and Verna Bethany Road. It was built in 1906 and still stands as a museum. A new sanctuary was completed in 1974. The first grave at Bethany Baptist Church cemetery was in 1912.
The Stewart Cemetery is the precursor to the Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery. It contains 23 graves, some unmarked:
|
| Name |
Dates |
Inscription |
Remarks |
| Baldwin, --- | | | (he built a home by the Manatee River approx. 1/2 mile east of today's Bethany Baptist Church; he was a homesteader) |
| Bryant, --- | 1903 - 7/8/1908 | | |
| Bryant, Charlie | 11/5/1847 - 7/2/1914 | | (he came to this area from Georgia in Dec., 1974; husband of Nancy Rich Bryant) |
| Bryant, Gertrude | b/app 1903 - 7/8/1908 | | (daughter of James and Betty Martha Farabee Bryant) |
| Bryant, Norah V. | 8/21/1888 - 5/16/1892 | | (daughter of Charlie and Nancy Rich Bryant) |
| Dennis, Franky | 9/13/1894 - died 1906 | | (son or grandson of Frank and Emiline Dennis) |
| Dennis, Partie | 6/6/1892 - 1/22/1896 | | (child or grandchild of Frank and Emiline Dennis who built a home 3 miles NW of Bethany near Gilley Creek) |
| Gill, --- | b/d 7/2/1914 | | (daughter of Willie Williams and Rosa Bryant Gill) |
| O'Riley, Oscar ( | | | son of William "Pat" O'Riley, after whom the Riley post office was named) |
| Rich, --- | | | (grandchild of J.W. "Big Wash" and Carrie Rich) |
| Rich, Alfred Russell | 2/27/1856 - 10/4/1912 | | (husband of Mary Evaline Stewart Rich; came to this area on a wagon train from Georgia) |
| Rich, Carrie Wilkins | | | w/o A.R. Rich) |
| Rich, Demps | 2/5/1881 - Sep 1888 | | |
| Rich, J.W. | | "Big Wash" | (nephew of Alfred R. "Doc" Rich) |
| Rich, Jess | 11/22/1874 - Sep 1888 | | (born on a wagon train at the Aucilla River, Jefferson City, Fla., while his parents were traveling to Florida; son of Alfred "Doc" and Evaline Stewart Rich) |
| Rich, Martha | 7/6/1807 - 7/7/1884 | | (mother of Alfred "Doc" Rich, who traveled via wagon train from Georgia to Florida in Dec., 1874) |
| Rich, Mary Evaline Stewart | 7/28/1856 - 12/3/1912 | | (wife of Alfred R. Rich; she and her husband came to this area in Dec., 1874 from Georgia) |
| Rye, Emma Francis Stewart | 4/7/1888 - 5/18/1911 | | (daughter of John and Joanne Stewart; wife of William Franklin Rye) |
| Rye, Gladys N. | 6/20/1905 - 9/5/1906 | | (daughter of William and Emma Rye) |
| Stewart, Ada | | | |
| Wingate, Jeann | 4/14/1901 - May, 1904 | | (daughter of George and Leah Stewart Wingate) |
| Wingate, John H. | 1/24/1824 - 5/12/1898 | | (came to this area in 1860; husband of Rebecca Porter Johnston who was buried at Bethany Cemetery in Dec., 1925; Rebecca and John Wingate were the parents of George, Elmore, Andrew, Jessie and David) |
| Wingate, Pleasant | 2/3/1897 - 3/30/1897 | | (son of George and Leah Stewart Wingate) |
| By Melissa Brewer and Beverly Mott Alstrom, © 2002, All Rights Reserved. |
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