It’s always fun to visit a place in your own area that you’ve never been before. A few weeks back I had the great opportunity to talk to a dear sweet lady down in the Violet community of Cherokee County NC.
I don’t think I’d been to Violet since I was in high school. I’ve often heard folks joke that if you go to Violet you’re going to the end of the world.
Although remote it is a beautiful community.
On my recent trip I got to stop at the old Prospect Church that was established in 1900.
Like many old churches of that era it sits on steep ground with the graveyard behind the church sitting on even steeper ground.
Hanging on one of the church walls is a chart of the Family of Solomon Avery Davis and Angelina Murphy Davis. I didn’t see a sign verifying it, but I’m guessing the family is responsible for starting the church.
The chart starts with Uriah Davis ? – 1768 and Margaret Davis (Dixon) 1711 – ? and from them Meshack Bednay (Mish) 1749 – 1853 with the other beginning line being Thomas Bentley, Jr. 1725 – 1789 and Hannah Bentley (Downing) 1725 – 1795 and from them Lydia Davis (Bentley) 1755 – 1847.
Meshack or Mish and Lydia had Iaac Oscar Davis 1797 – 1870 and the family goes on from there with the most recent date being 1947. Although much information (dates and names) are missing from the chart it is still fascinating to think of the many people connected to the church and wonder about where they come from and how they ended up in the area.
A walk through the graveyard shows many members of the Davis, Murphy, and Taylor families who have been laid to rest. Another name I noticed a few times is Hamby.
I found this stone interesting as I wandered around the steep hillside. It reads Son of Jas. & Sarah Ann Eyanson Born Henderson KY. March 28, 1862 Died Christmas Day 1912. I’m curious about the son’s name not being on the stone and also that at that age he wasn’t connected to a wife.
The church has a very peaceful feeling about it and I enjoyed spending time there. It is still used for special gatherings or when local churches are having work done and need to move to a different location for services.
Last night’s video: Fishing at Fires’s Creek & Cooking Our Catch.
Granny’s appointment went well yesterday. The doctor is hopeful the mass might be reduced enough to be surgically removed even though we had previously been told that was not an option. We will know more after another test or two and a visit with a colorectal surgeon. Thank you for the prayers, the cards, and the kind wishes!! We appreciate you all!
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Your YouTube channel has been such a blessing to me. My mama passed away a few months ago ,she was my best friend ,a good Christian mama .I was raised in Habersham co Georgia and my mama and daddy had beautiful vegetable gardens ,I would help mama in the gardens from a young age. She taught me so much about nature ,flowers gardening but most importantly Jesus. I am still heartbroken over her passing. I found celebrating Appalachia on YouTube one day ,have been watching it every day. You and your family have been a blessing to me through this horrible grieving process ,praying for your mom ,you and your wonderful family. God bless you all
Cheryl-Thank you for the kind words. I’m so sorry you lost your sweet mother! I’m glad you enjoy our videos and that they have helped some. We appreciate you and your prayers!!
Hi, I am a descendant of Meshack Davis from Texas immigrant, James Monroe Davis, I am Jeff Davis and currently live in Michigan.
Great news about Granny. Prayers for her and all of you and wisdom for the doctors.
Regarding the old headstone, I was once told when you see no first name, just son of or daughter of… and they were adults, they were most likely mentally or physically handicapped. A Methodist pastor told me that when I was researching genealogy.
Have a blessed day.
I love old churches and cemeteries so much. My mama has always loved them too so I guess it rubbed off on me. Me and mama and my daughter took a road trip to Ohio yesterday to pick up my daughters new puppy and we drove by several old churches with cemeteries full of old faded tombstones…mom and I were dying to stop off and have a look but we didn’t know how the folks there would feel about a bunch of people from out of town traipsing around their cemeteries so we decided to just admire from afar. Praying for granny and hope they’re able to remove the mass!
I can remember when I was about 5 or 6 years old, my grandmother Nannie would take us grandchildren to a white church out in the country, similar to the one above. I also can remember people bringing lots of food to the church, and after the church services, they would all gather outside to the picnic tables to have a wonderful meal. So many people would be there. I cherish those memories from long ago. So glad to hear the wonderful news about granny. I will keep praying for granny to be healed from the tumor. Thank you Lord Jesus for your many blessings for granny, Tipper, and all her precious family. May the Lord God be with all the family. AMEN
Great news about your mom’s tests.!!
Will continue to pray for her and your family as well,
Thank the Lord for the good news about Granny! I’m so happy you have received this encouraging news and I’m continuing to send up prayers for Granny and your whole family!
Blessings.
We at the Hollifield household are hopeful that Granny’s mass will be shrunk and able to be removed. We are praying everyday for each of you. With God nothing is impossible.
Seeing y’all at Fires Creek brought back memories of riding through by Fires Creek and camping with my dad. He grew up in Hayesville. My grandpa was the game warden in that area for years and he had lots of stories to tell. Thank you for sharing you trip with us.
I always have enjoyed & been fascinated by old churches and cemeteries since I was a very young girl. I was so happy to hear about Grannys progress. Continued prayers for sure. God bless & keep all of you.
That surely was encouraging news for your mother from this appointment. Continuing in prayer for her healing. It is so interesting to see and learn the history of these old places and read the headstones, to think of the people who have worshipped there and been active there in and around. Really neat.
Thank you so much for the update on Granny. We are still praying for God to allow treatment that will shrink Granny’s tumor. What hope to hear that the tumor has a possibility of being removed. With God nothing is impossible! Prayers are being lifted daily, at the Hollifield household, for Granny, you and your family.
Tipper I’m am going to email you a picture of Walker Top Baptist Church here south of Morganton bordering the South Mountains State Park. It sits right on the spine of Burkemont Mountain. You can look right down on Morganton and on a clear day see the Charlotte skyline (not that I would want to look at it). It is said to have been founded around 1845 (I can’t attest to that, I wasn’t old enough to remember.)
I love old churches & enjoy sitting on the pews thinking about all the people who sat there over the years before me. I find peace in those old churches, and when I walk through cemeteries I ponder over what these people were like. I also love old country stores & old neighborhood stores. In fact, I just love history & all things old. So encouraged that Granny’s Dr’s appt went well yesterday. I will keep praying for Granny. Please keep us posted.
So many of those little white churches treasured in my memory. Life was so very simple back then, or maybe because I saw it through a child’s eyes. Even my early school was a medium sized white building, and the memories are so special. No school yard equipment to play on, as we had a forest behind full of beech nuts to gather and the boys had a pocket full of marbles. I suspect that is why there were a few knee patches on their pants before year’s end.
My uncle, who was 6 month’s older than me once told me I was ‘’older’n dirt.” Always trying to outdo him, I said, “I guess that makes you dirt.” Those church buildings and departed relatives have always given me a sense of belonging or “place.” I miss our little jaunts with my uncles to the little cemeteries that were so old the churches was long gone. I treasure a book my dad left on the history of the old Regular Baptist churches. I love all history in Appalachia. There is something so special about visiting anything that was there years before you were born.
So great to hear positive news about Granny, and the prayers will continue ❤️
Thank You, Father, for the encouraging news about Miss Louzine’s prognosis. We continue in our prayers for her recovery and pray that You will give her doctors and all those caring for her the knowledge and skill to bring her full recovery about. Amen
Our hearts are filled with joy and hope. Our “tough ole bird” will live to be a hundred and one. We love you, sweet Granny.
Tipper, I just watched last night’s video of y’all fishing. It brought back so many treasured memories of when I along with other family members were able to go up and fish in the area around the Walhalla fish hatchery in SC. The creek reminds me of Burell’s Ford. Watching Matt cook those trout on the Coleman stove made my mouth water. One thing different, we did not fillet our trout. Because of the death of so most of the ones I did this with, it is now a thing of the past to never be done again. Enjoy every second you can of doing things like this with your family. I laughed when one of girls(I can’t tell them apart) mentioned close to the beginning of small fish, my wife’s granddaddy would often go with us (passed away in May1981)and would catch and keep a small fish. We would tease him about keeping it. He would say “you eat butter beans don’t you, it’s big as a butter bean”.
Thank the Lord for the good news about Granny. Continued prayers for wisdom for her doctors and continued prayers for all of you.
Lovely old church building. Was it ever dual-purposed for schooling during the week? Love old building like that, and glad they’ve maintained it so well over the years! Looks VERY steep.
Great news on Granny! May God continue his blessings on yall.
God bless Granny with healing and health and love care and protection and the peace of Jesus ❤️
Our continuing prayers for Granny.
Hi Tipper and family. Wonderful news about granny. When I was 18. me and some friends jumped in the car and went on road trips. Back in the late 70’s we didn’t worry about bad things happening. We were in Tennessee. Deep in the country on one lane roads, no one else around. What was left of wood fences that once surrounded a house long gone. Berries growing on the fences. Kind of like when Dorothy of Wizard of Oz was by the apple tree. Kind of dreamlike. Well of course I am the one who looks for what stands out, or is different. I was drawn to a beautiful piece of fence close to the road. Large trees so you barely saw the sky. I say to one of my friends why is there a piece of flat wood stuck in the ground like that. This friend was from that part of Tennessee. He just shrugged his shoulder and said was a old tombstone. Probably a house had been there but disintegrated with time. People would bury their loved ones close to their houses. Yes I walk around cemeteries. I find them peaceful, not scary. To this day, I have to say I have never seen anything so beautiful and peaceful. Tipper, thank you for another beautiful story. Granny and all of you are in my prayers.
What a great trip down history lane. My brother and sister in law used to go to different graveyards on weekends researching our family tree. Heard some great stories about their trips. Your description of the church on high ground made me think of the old hymn “Higher Ground’. I like that song so much. We are all trying to get to the next higher “place” with God until we reach the highest one, heaven. I searched this blog hoping to find that maybe your Pap or brother might have been recorded singing it. But I didn’t find it. Maybe the Corie and Katie could record it. Thanks for the memories and give Grannie a big hug from me. We are praying and God is listening.
Great news about Granny!
Wonderful news about Granny and I will continue to pray for her.
I love old churches. The simplicity but yet the beauty of them. I wonder about this church in the remote area and the people buried there especially the man that died on Christmas day, and like you said his name isn’t on the stone. It does make you wonder.
Encouraging news about Granny. Praise God that he is always with us and watching over us. Bless her, she is precious. Continued prayers for her and family. I love the article about the old church. There seems to be such peace in these old churches. My grandmother walked to church and played the old pump organ. I wonder how many people would walk a long distance to church today.
In the holler where I was raised, over the other side of the hills was a grave yard. My dad and I were up there hunting and stopped by and was looking at the grave stones. Alot was his people. Some just a small rock or rocks that someone had ingraved their name of it and some didn’t have a name. None of them had a fancy rock, not one. It’s still there today. Prayers still going up for granny. you know Tipper, God has the last say. And Prayers changes things.
In the area where I live, we have the Leach cemetery (no relation to me) with old and new graves. Some with markers and some without. In part of the cemetery there is a beautiful monument in honor of 190 men and boys who lost their lives in the May 19, 1902 Fraterville mine explosion. This area is called Fraterville Miners’ Circle. I also have family buried in this old cemetery.
To the BP history buffs, you can google the mine explosion of 1902. It’s also on the U.S. National Register of Historical Places.
So happy about Granny’s report. God is faithful. Love you all!
Thank you, Tipper, for the update about Granny. May God continue to make a good way for her and for you all. May He give wisdom and discernment about accepting (or not accepting) the treatment options that may be available. May God heal Granny in the way He knows is best. And may His peace and comfort reign in your lives.
I love old churches and old cemeteries; if I could change anything about our home’s current location it would be to have an old cemetery on it.
Encouraging news about Granny; will keep you all in prayer.
I agree with Randy about the feeling that comes over me when I see an old church. I love to drive somewhere I have never been, and I love old churches. My husband and I take these little drives often. There are so many roads we haven’t taken. We visited a place in Silver Creek, Maryland that claims it has the smallest church and the smallest post office in 48 states. The church is old and adorable. Sitting on a pew, in the quiet, I relished the peace I felt inside. It’s also in such a serene setting. There are beautiful flowers and trees all around.
I, like everyone else, am ecstatic about the news about your Mama. I smiled from ear to ear when I read your post. God be with her and with you and your family.
What a sweet little church with so much history! Oh if only them walls could talk, what great stories they could tell. I know it was fascinating to walk through the graveyard reading about all the people that had once lived in the area. Thank you for sharing it with us. I’m thankful to God for the encouraging news that Granny’s cancer can possibly be shrunk so they can operate to remove the mass. Prayers will continue for Granny and for all y’all too.
So glad you have a plan for Granny. Prayers and praise.
Old churches are very interesting.
Thank God for the good news about Granny. God loves Granny and we all do too. She brings a smile to everyone’s face.
When I see an old church I wish I could travel back in time and attend a service there.
Thank y’all’s for a sharin this today.
I done enjoyed it! I be a prayin fer Granny.
God is and will keep tending to her.
God Bless y’all’s today.
Willard
I thank God for the encouraging doctor’s report. God really is good to us. The church is beautiful and stirs the imagination. I am so happy when I see places and things from the past preserved.
During my genealogy research, I did not found any of my ancestors buried in a church graveyard. The old cemetery where my dad’s parents are buried is maintained by the local historical society. When the group from the society cleaned the large area, we discovered tombstones we had never seen before. Many were homemade with the name of the deceased and their birth and death date etched in the stone by hand. Sadly, many markers are simple rocks without names. I could spend hours reading and photographing the headstones.
Praise the Lord for the good news about Granny!
Shirl, if you are not already doing this, please consider signing up with Findagrave. Thousands of volunteers who also enjoy doing what you have described have photographed grave markers and uploaded them to Findagrave. It is not only a great resource to amateur and professional genealogists, it preserves what nature and time will eventually erase. The inscriptions on markers made of sedimentary rock weather quickly to an unreadable state. Marble markers were common 100 years ago. Marble is a metamorphosed limestone or dolomite. The heat and pressure that creates marble makes it a little more durable – but it too will become unreadable unless it is in a totally arid climate. Marble markers in my Kentucky cemeteries that were readable 30 years ago can no longer be read. Some folks use shaving cream to make the letters clearer, but that actually contributes to the degradation of marble. Sometimes you can trace the letters and numbers with your fingers. If you have a lot of time, you can make a rubbing. I am very grateful to volunteers who spend time preserving the history written on grave markers throughout our nation.
That church building reminds me of Horn’s Creek Church, located in the woods south of Edgefield, SC, but it was empty of furniture and sometimes got vandalized because it was isolated and no longer in use. Then the building was cleaned up by the good people there and a caretaker employed. He lived on the property in a mobile home. Don’t know if that arrangement is still in place or not. I hope so. It is a peaceful place and certainly worth preserving.
Wonderful news about Granny. We will keep her in our prayers. God is good! His grace is sufficient! He’s all we need and He is going to take care of Granny. Very interesting about this church. I also try to imagine the people who may have worshipped there. Prayers for all. Take care and God bless ❤️
Sending prayers up for Granny.
Praise the Lord for Granny’s news.. Praying bright roads ahead!
I enjoyed seeing the old church & the cemetery, I love old places like this and often think of all the goings on that went on back in the day and about all the history of that remote area. If only these places could talk.
I am commenting too much and have already left a reply to Glenda. Her comment about The Deer Hunter being Tipper’s new assistant made me think of this “A married man never retires, he just works under new Management!” Tipper had better be careful, Matt will go back to work just to get get some rest.
Wives make “Honey do lists” for the husband. Husbands would get in big trouble if they made one for the wife.
Jackie ( my first girlfriend’s name 12 years old) I stayed in the dog house so much, my poor ole hound dog wouldn’t go to sleep at night unless I was in his dog house with him! Lord how I wish she was still here to put me back in a dog house.
So glad you all are seeing light through the shadow. We have a similar situation in our family and I know it eases the strain. Your post today reminds me once again of the whole idea of ‘a spirit of place’. I am certain there is spirit of place in actual time when people are present. What I am puzzled about is whether it can and does linger independently of people when they are gone. I’m not talking about ghosts. I mean that sense you can get that there is happiness, sadness, trouble etc in a place. Something to ponder today. Is the ground at the one time burning bush still holy?
So glad for the encouraging update on Granny. Continued prayers for her I love visiting old churches like that. Makes me always wonder about the people who went to those old churches and sat in those pews.
Recently clipped a news article about the discovery of a couple of old photos. Since the article discussed the people depicted in the photo as well as their involvement in my church, I posted it on the bulletin board at church. A deacon strolled by with his son and looked at the clipping and said “Oh! That’s my great great great grandfather.” Appalachia has so much family history and I love the fact that families stay close to home for generations.
Beautiful church!!! So glad that it has been preserved and used today.
Prayers continue for Granny. That is encouraging news that y’all received.
Continued prayers for your mom and glad to hear that there are options and possibilities!!
Old churches are very interesting to visit and those with old graveyards are even better. The headstones from way back when are more interesting to read and look at than those that are made today.
Praise for the encouraging words about your mom. We have an old church/cemetery not far from us. And will be my resting place some day. A lot of history buried in these cemeteries. God Bless.
The best news about Granny, I continue to keep her in my prayers.
I too l9ve visiting old churches. They are so peaceful. The cemeteries are fascinating, I can spend hours reading inscriptions and imagining stories about their lives
welcome have several old churches around that have been abandoned over time as their congregation has moved or went on to their reward it’s always a treat to visit the cemetery at these and imagine what it was like in their hayday. one of these is in a community named ” Poga”,the adjacent community is named “Nowhere” . A many stranger has stopped for directions to “Poga” only to be told they are in ” Nowhere”.
First, so glad that Granny’s appointment went well. We’re continuing to pray for her. Second, that church is beautiful. I love old churches. My daughter would love to look at that graveyard. We both like to look at the dates and talk about where the people came from or what their story might have been. Thank you for sharing!!! Hope y’all have a great weekend!
I love visiting the grounds of old churches and especially like to visit the Graves. Once a friend and I visited an elderly lady friend who had moved back to Ohio. Her facility was right next to a very old church. and cemetery. We took a walk over to the cemetery. I was so engrossed in reading the headstones that time got away from me. Eventually I looked for my friend who had sat down on the edge of a headstone. She said she thought she’d just rest while the crazy headstone reader (me) got done going through the lives of a bunch of people she didn’t know.
Praise God!!! That is exciting news about your Mom!! I am so very happy!!! I feel a huge burden has been lifted. God is so good!! I am continuing to pray for her and all of you!
I enjoyed this post on the genealogy of this family. I love researching my ancestors, and I love reading about other people’s. I wish everyone who ever walked this earth, in all the world, had kept a detailed diary about their daily life. But, alas, so much day to day history is lost because we let life melt one day into the next without giving a thought to it’s actual importance. Everyday is important that you are blessed to breathe. God has given you each one as a gift to enjoy, and to serve Him. I pray i use my days wisely.
I am so truly happy for the news from this doctor, Tipper. You don’t know how ecstatic I am this morning!! All glory to God! Your Mom is so beautiful and such a treasure to cherish!
Donna. : )
Old church houses like that one have long fascinated me. I can almost hear the congregation singing an old hymn and the preacher proclaiming the Gospel. The news about your mother is encouraging. I’m praying for her.
I am thrilled to hear the news about Granny. Hope is such a wonderful thing! The Prospect Church reminds me of my first marriage honeymoon adventure. We were driving through the hills of eastern Tennessee on back roads, and on a Sunday morning came upon a church that looked exactly like the Prospect Church. Church was in service, so we stopped and went inside to find a congregation of 15 or 20 singing, no instruments minus voices and dancing. They were so welcoming to us, and we didn’t know the hymns they sang, but we celebrated the Lord by joining into the dancing, clapping, and toe tapping. It was such a wonderful experience and memory as we were both very young–19 and 21. I am nearly 70, and I remember as if yesterday the joy inside that worship service. Prayers for Granny and all of you.
I love visiting old churches, I can feel the Presence of God. That is an amazing genealogy, so interesting. I loved your video last evening of the 4 of you, hiking and fishing! I am continuing in prayer for Granny and all of you. God bless
you and yours❤❤
Oh goodness, can you imagine being a child at that church and playing hide and seek or other games under the building? I can imagine the fun the children had. It does look peaceful inside. Can you also think of the trials and tribulations of living and the day to day living. They were some tough people back then Of course, without how they survived, how would we be here. When I saw your note about Granny, I could not help but smile. Praise the Lord for ANY good news. Tell you new assistant, that we are pulling for him. He now has a REAL job. God Bless you guy.
Glenda, I remember back in the 5o and 60’s when I was a child and our old country church was full of children. When I look back, I think church was a lot more important to people back then than it is now. The adults didn’t rush off after the services and would hang around talking to one another while the children played tag, hide and seek or some other game with one another. I also remember when these same children, especially me, walked the aisle many times at these services, but to the front door and not to the alter if we didn’t behave. I think the old church had bushes planted near the front door just for such occasions! I told mother one time God was going to get mad at her for breaking all of those switches off his bushes, she told me he was mad at me for misbehaving. Never did get me out of a whipping. Some of these same children still go to the same church and we now talk and laugh about those old times and say we wish we could back to those days.
Thank you for the update on Granny. Praying for Granny and her family. Sending love and virtual hugs to all.
We have two churches in our community named Prospect, one is called Old Prospect and the other is New Prospect. When I am around an old church like this, it seems like I have a “feeling” to come over me. My church was established in 1815 , I remember our old church building, the new more modern building we are in now was built in 1965. We have several Civil War veterans and what is said to be salves buried in the cemetery. The salve graves are only marked with rocks. I am amazed at the number of young children of the past buried there. This is personal to me but I treat a cemetery with the same respect that I have inside the church building even when I was cutting the grass at our church cemetery when I was 14 years old.
I will continue to pray for Granny. Now with the hope of maybe being able to operate, it seems like the prayers are working.