Starnes buried at Mount Holley Cemetery

Mount Holly Cemetery, Smithville, Dekalb County Tennessee

Coming from Smithville on Highway 83 pull into the first drive of the Mount Holly Cemetery, park in the curve toward the rear of the cemetery, exit to the right and walk toward the fence row, turn right and walk back toward the main highway following the fence row, you will see Starnes tombstones, go past Nepthali Brock's stone. The first stone you will see is Jeremiah Moreland Starnes and his wife Mary Ann STOKES (they are on the same stone one on each side), next will be Charles Starnes and his wife Nancy Rafferty (they are also on the same stone one on each side). Next will be Catherine Sherrill Starnes and Andrew Starnes. Catherine's has a small stone that is level with the ground with no metal plate anymore, Charles stone is gone and there is a small indention in ground, as of February 2001.

Mt Holly Reinterment Cemetery near Smithville (Dekalb) Tennessee.
The information came from the Nashville District of the US Army Corps of Engineers. These graves were moved from the Starnes Cemetery where the present day Center Hill Dam stands.

Charles Starnes's farm was located where the Center Hill Dam is presently located. He donated the land for the original Starnes Cemetery in 1890. The deed for the cemetery contains some interesting stipulations. It states that anyone may be buried in the cemetery except members of the Latter Day Saint Faith; and if need arises a school house may be erected on the property for the educating of white children only. Between the time Charles Starnes prepared this deed and before the official transfer could be made, he died. This caused a need for the deed to be probated and therefore all of Charles Starnes heirs had to sign it. Most likely Charles Starnes was the first to be buried at this cemetery. It remained open to public until 1941 when all the graves were moved to make way for the dam building.

Dora H.STARNES Lot 1
Edgar STARNES Lot 1
H. Clay STARNES Lot 1
Ida STARNES Lot 1
Jerry STARNES Lot 1 Grave #21
Leslie L. STARNES Lot 1
Lillie M. STARNES Lot 1
Mary Ann STARNES Lot 1 Graves #22
Timothy Rolo STARNES Lot 1

Andrew STARNES Lot 2 Graves #75
B.F.STARNES Lot 2
Callie STARNES Lot 2
Catherine STARNES Lot 2 Graves #76
Charles STARNES Lot 2 Graves #111
Dan Caster STARNES Lot 2
Elsie STARNES Lot 2
Grady STARNES Lot 2
I.D. STARNES Lot 2
Julia STARNES Lot 2;
Malisia Cordelie STARNES Lot 2
Nan STARNES Lot 2
Nancy Raffeity STARNES Lot 2 Graves #112
Polly STARNES Lot 2
Ruby Vernie STARNES Lot 2

One of the biggest events in the history of DeKalb County and one that affected the lives of hundreds was the passing by Congress of the Flood Control Act of 1938. Center Hill lake and Dam, a multi-purpose project, was authorized by Congress in 1939 and construction was begun in 1940. The advent of electricity and the promise of flood control carried a high price for the residents in the area of the Caney Fork River. More than 6,000 tracts of land were purchased by the Government as settlers moved to other parts of this county and others. The remains of more than 2,000 bodies were exhumed from seventy nine grave sites and reinterred in other cemeteries. The Caney Fork has been called one of the ten most important rivers in Tennessee and it has made a decisive impact on the County.

Sources:
Sam Denny
Corps of Engineers

STARNES CEMETERY REINTERNED
AT
MOUNT HOLLY CEMETERY
SMITHVILLE, DEKALB COUNTY, TENNESSEE

List No. 1
T. A. Starnes
Trace No. A-105-Y (1)

Center Hill Dam and Reservoir Area Land Acquisition Section Smithville, Tennessee

Bodies Removed and Reinterned by B. A. McConnell Under Contract No. W-40-058-Eng-194

1.        Berry Ballenger
2.        Ink Ballenger
3.        Infant Starnes                 1911-1911
           B. Monu. Base 8" X 14"
3.a      Nancy Moss                   1874-1939
4.        J. B. Moss                      1847-1929
5.        Timothy Rolo Starnes      1907-1909
           S. Monu.
6.        Vernon Jones                  1912-1931
7.        Unknown
8.        Charlie Nixon                 1897-1897
            S. Monu.
9.        Mary A. Jones                1832-1895
10.      Robert Nixon                  1826-1890
11.      Tommy Nixon
12.      Halie Fouch
13.                 Fouch
14.                 Fouch
15.      Tory Winnard                  Died 1931
16.      H. Clay Starnes                1871-1911
17.      Infant Starnes
18.      Infant Starnes
19.      Ruth Kelly
20.       Johauna Kelly
21.        Jerry Starnes                Died 1916
            S. Monu.
22.       Mary Ann Starnes        1846-1904
23.       Lillie M. Starnes            1889-1889
            S. Monu.
24.        Leslie L. Starnes            1883-1884
            S. Monu.
25.       Dora H. Starnes            1876-1881
            S. Monu.
26.       Edgar Starnes                1877-1879
            S. Monu.
27.       Sylvanos Stokes
28. 30b. Unknown
31.        Infant Nixon
32.         Minnie Lee Nixon        1882-1896
            S. Monu.
33.         Jeffie Nixon                1894-1895
34a.         Infant Nixon
34.-37.    Unknown
38.        James Holly                1827-1901
            S. Monu.
39.        Liza Holley
40.        John Holley
41.         Cassy Holley
42.-54    Unknown
55.        Lousia Jones
56-58    Unknown
59.        Joseph Tisdale        1855-1897
            S. Monu.
60.      Emely Frincis Tisdale        1855-1922
61.     Doss Tisdale
62.       Will Tisdale
63.                Nixon
64.       Fannie Mae Nixon        1904-1906
            S. Monu.
65.       Nellie Belle Nixon        1910-1919
            S. Monu. Base 14" X 20"
66.       Thomas Finas Nixon    1895-1919
            S. Monu. Base 18" X 18"
67.       Unknown
68.        Leroy M. Jones        1844-1930
68a-74.       Unknown
75.    Andrew Starnes
76.    Catherine Starnes
77.    Willie Lee Williams    Deid 1930
78.    Mrs. S. T. Williams    1861-1906
79.    Dora E. Garrison        1831-1912
80.    Jim Williams
81.    Betsy Williams
82.    J. Allen Williams
83.-100 Unknown
101.    Mandy Aldridge
102.    Julia Starnes        1884-1930
103.    I. D. Starnes        1881-1923
           M. Monu.
104.    Kate Christian    1837-?
105.    John Cripps        1874-1901
106.    Liza Cripps        1837-1907
           S. Monu. Base 10" X 10"
107.    Callie Starnes
108.    B. F. Starnes    1847-1910
           S. Monu.
109.    Dan Caster Starnes    1812-1876
           S. Monu.
110.    Melisia Cordelie Starnes 1873-1885
           S. Monu.
111.    Charles Starnes    1817-1893
           S. Monu.
112.    Nancy Raffeity Starnes 1815-1901
           S. Monu.
113.-116   Unknown
117.    Polly Starnes
118.    Thomas J. Brock
119.    Infant Brock
120.    Eliza Brock
121.    Edna Brock
122.    Sergt. Nepthali I. Brock
           S. Monu.
123.-126.        Unknown
127.    Wilmettie Jones    1900-1900
            S. Monu.
128.    William E. Jones    1842-1904
            M. Monu.
129.    Tenn. Jones
130.    Dovie Beulah Jones    1882-1908
            M. Monu.
131.    Ruby Jones            1907-1926
           M. Monu.
132.    Elsie Starnes        Died 1911
133.    Grady Starnes    Died 1928
134.                Cripps
135.    Delie Christian    1867-1923
           S. Monu.    Base 10" X 20"
136.    Zelie M. Cripps    1886-1896
S. Monu.
137.    Author McBroom
138.    Nan Starnes
139.    Ruby Vernie Starnes
140.    Unknown
141.    Infant Starnes    Died 1922
142.            Cripps
143.    unknown
144-165. Inclusive Unknown
                30 Small Monuments

4 Medium Monuments
Note: 147 Graves staked in this cemetery
Information courtesy of Jerry Roger Starnes

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