Tombstone Tuesday - George & Martha Witherspoon

In 1835, Bethany Presbyterian Church moved from the current location of Crooked Creek Missionary Baptist Church, about 1 mile from Marion, Crittenden County to where U.S. 60 makes a 90 degree turn as it heads toward Livingston County. The church is long gone, but the adjoining cemetery, called Old Marion, remains as the final resting place for some of Marion's earliest settlers. Crittenden County was created in 1842 and Marion became the county seat not long after that.

Among the older tombstones in Old Marion Cemetery are those for George and Martha Witherspoon, who came from North Carolina at an early date. The Membership List of Bethany-Marion Presbyterian Church 1803-1881, compiled from the official record book by Robert M. Wheeler, lists George Witherspoon as a charter Elder in 1813 and Martha Witherspoon as a charter member. George's death date is listed as 3/16/1844 and Martha's death date is given as 11/19/1845. George Witherspoon left a will dated 3 February 1840 and recorded 13 May 1844 in Crittenden County Will Book 1, page 6.  Unfortunately, a tree has tried to eat the tombstone for George Witherspoon so we are unable to read any anything but his last name and March 16.  The tombstones were photographed 24 October 2012.

 

In

memory

of

----- Witherspoon

March 16,

 

 

In

memory

of

Martha Witherspoon

died Nov. 19

1845

in her 63 year