Photos by Louis Showalter
Notes for this cemetery were provided by Stephen A. Taylor, Bob Hunt, & Rena Worthen from items found in Newspapers, Funeral Home Records, Census Records, and Personal research.
Minter, William 1926 – 1928 & Minter, Lloyd 1924 – 1941
Bryant, James 1958 – 13 Aug 2008
James Andrew (Jim) Bryant , 50, of 938 Flat Road, Clifton Forge, went to be with our Lord and Savior on Wednesday, August 13, 2008, after a long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family when he passed at his home. Jim was born April 30, 1958, in Clifton Forge, Va., a son of Celia J. Bryant , who resides on Iron Gate Hill, and the late Robert C. Bryant . He was an active member and deacon of the Iron Gate Baptist Church and was employed by Meade-Westvaco Corporation of Covington as boiler operator. He served in the Virginia Army National Guard for over 20 years and was a previous Eagle Scout. In addition to his mother, left behind to cherish his memory is his wife of 29 wonderful years, Debora E. Johnson Bryant , of the residence; two daughters, Katie Jo Mace and husband, Donald E. Mace, of Covington, and Karie Rae Bryant , of Glen Wilton; a son, Matthew Scott Bryant , of Glen Wilton; four sisters, Joy B. Chambers and husband, Bill, of Buchanan, Donna B. Gobble and husband, Hokie, of Fincastle, Mary B. Shorter and husband, Buddy, of Iron Gate, and Tammy B. Johnson and husband, Alan, of Eagle Rock; a brother, Joseph D. Bryant , of Fincastle; three very special grandchildren, Joshua Andrew Bryant and Madison and Maggie Mace; his father-in-law and mother-inlaw, Ralph and Mary Johnson, of Iron Gate; and a host of special nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and friends. A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 16, 2008, in Iron Gate Baptist Church with the Reverend Hunter Hale officiating. Interment will follow in Iron Gate Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Friday evening, August 15, 2008, from 6 until 8:30 p.m. at Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge and other times at the residence. The family suggests memorial tributes take the form of contributions to the Iron Gate Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 193, Iron Gate, Va. 24448. To send condolences to the family online, please visit Nicely Funeral Home.
Cary, Betty S. 1929 – 8 Sept 1998
CARY , Betty Mae Shifflett, 69, of Clifton Forge, died Tuesday, September 8, 1998. Memorial service 4 p.m. Thursday at Nicely Funeral Home Chapel. Arrangements by Nicely Funeral Home.
Edition: METRO
Section: VIRGINIA
Page: B2
Record Number: 9809100080
Copyright (c) 1998 The Roanoke Times
Cary, Andrew Edward 1947 – 1991
Cary, Edward Oscar 23 July 1924 – 27 November 1967; s/o Lee Andrew Cary & Maggie L. Clark
Cary, Maggie L. 14 April 1905 – 2 Jan 1981; d/o David Clark & Grace
Cary, Lee Andrew 25 July 1894 – 26 June 1966 s/o Tom Carey who d. age 76 on 8 December 1945 (no cemetery named on death record) & Nannie Clark
Cary, Roland W.(Wagoner) 26 Feb 1947 – 16 July 1947; s/o Lee A. & Maggie L Clark. Funeral home record has Roland Wagoner Cary intered in Cary Cemetery
Cary, Foley G. 14 Aug 1930 – 7 Jan 1946; s/o Lee A. & Maggie L Clark Funeral home record has Roland Wagoner Cary intered in Cary Cemetery
Cary, Florence M.(Marie) 1907 – 1964; Florence Sweet d/o Adam Sweet & Esther Cash married on 29 Apr 1931 Thomas Cary age 60 s/o Jordon Cary & Joanne Taylor
Cary, Andrew L. 1926 – 1945
Cary, Thomas J. 1865 – 8 Dec 1945; s/o Jordon Cary & Joanne Taylor
Clark, William Henry s/o J. F. & R. C.
Clark, Rena C. 1888 – 1938 & Clark, James F. 1868 – 1943
Lomasney, George L. 1894 – 1937
Bryant, Alice Reynolds 29 Jul 1903 – 28 Jun 1997; Alice is the d/o Joseph Reynolds & Carrie Deeds. She was burried on 30 June 1997 in Hill Top Cemetery; She was married to James William Bryant, they have 5 known children, Roy, Clarence, Robert, Annamae, & Sylvia, per Bob Hunt's research.
Bryant, James W. 1 Mar 1892 – 25 Sep 1958; was burried on 27 Sep 1958 at Hill Top Cemetery, Iron Gate. He served in WWI; per Bob Hunt
Bryant, Sylvia Jean 9 Dec 1938 – 22 Dec 1990; buried on 23 Dec 1990 in Hill Top Cemetery, Iron Gate, Va.
Bryant, Roy W. 2 Jun 1925 – 25 Jul 1944 KIA in France, He was buried on 22 Apr 1948 in Hill Top Cemetery by Nicely Funeral Home, Per Bob Hunt.
Rose, Lee Roy 6 Feb 1922 - 1 May 1988; s/o William Rose & Mary Jane Hyler Rose
Morris, Mary J. Hyler Rose 1901 – 1973
Wilmore, Allie T. 17 June 1900 – 15 July 1987; d/o Addie Terry & Sallie
Wilmore, Roy S. 1884 – 1959; Married to Allie Terry above; Ror is the s/o Edward Wilmore & Althia Terry
Johnson, Lawrence Elwood 1940 – 1941
Johnson, Michael Wayne 1953 – 1956
Johnson, Timothy D. 1959 - _____
Campbell, Phillip L. 14 Dec 1942 – 1 May 1988; s/o Daniel James Campbell & Martha
Campbell, Martha E. 1902 – 1960
Campbell, Daniel (no dates) WWII
Foscoe, Ashby A. 20 Apr 1946 – 15 July 1970 s/o Herbert A. Fuesco & Edna Johnson
Foscoe, Herbert A. 1915 – 1967 WWII
Bryant, Grafton M. (Merritt) 19 Dec 1898 – 12 June 1919; buried on 14 June 1919 in Hill Top Cemetery; (s/o William H Bryant and Nora Frances Gibson), per Bob Hunt
Bryant, Nora F. b. 10 Apr 1871 (Bath County, Va) – 1938 Nora Frances Gibson d/o James Gibson & Margaret Dean; she married William Henry Bryant, interred in Hill Top Cemetery, Iron Gate. Included in the list of children from Census records and Bob's research are: James W., Ollie Grant, Lacy M., Grafton M., Okey C., Blanche, Daniel R., Ralph T. & John A.
Bryant, William H. 1870 – 1952; burial date 4 Jan 1952 in Hill Top Cemetery, per Bob Hunt's Research. Proof of his death from Nicely Funeral Home records.
Bryant, John A. 28 Sept 1916 – 14 Sept 1975; s/o Wm. Henry Bryant & Nora Gibson
Bryant, Lacy M.(Moten) 13 Apr 1896 – 19 Sep 1974 s/o Wm. Henry Bryant & Nora Gibson; Lacy married to Florence Ida Eggleston with 9 known children; married also to Tina Sharp. Buried on 22 Sep 1974 in Hill Top Cemetery, per Bob Hunt.
Gilbert, Emmett Randolph 1928 – 15 May 1999
GILBERT, Emmett Randolph ("Randy"), 70, of Clifton Forge, died Saturday, May 15, 1999 in a Roanoke hospital. Graveside service 2 p.m. Monday in the Iron Gate Hill Cemetery. Arrangements by Eagle Rock Funeral Home.
Edition: METRO
Section: VIRGINIA
Page: C3
Record Number: 9905170035
Copyright (c) 1999 The Roanoke Times
Rose, Audrey 1931 – 2004 s/o William Rose & Mary Hyler married on 14 Sept 1954 to Annie Wilmore Bayne
Rose, Annie Wilmore 1921 – 13 Apr 2008 d/o Roy Scott Wilmore & Allie B. Terry. Annie previously married on 19 Apr 1951 to Gardner Mack Bayne s/o Andy Bayne & Sallie Bryant.
Annie Wilmore Rose, 86, of Iron Gate, died Sunday, April 13, 2008. Graveside funeral service 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at Iron Gate Hill Cemetery, Iron Gate. Arrangements by Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge, Va.
Edition: METRO
Section: VIRGINIA
Page: B7
Record Number: 0804150199
Copyright (c) 2008 The Roanoke Times
Jennings, Mrs. Lou A. 1861 – 1899
Norvell, Andrew R. 1874 – 1942
Norvell, Wilbur 1915 – 1974
Botetourt & Alleghany County line sign
She was a homemaker and a member of Sewell Valley Baptist Church, Rainelle.
Surviving: daughters, Linda Kaczorowski of Baltimore, Debbie Barrow of Rainelle; sons, Hobert Wayne Bryant of Luray, Va., Lacy O. Bryant of Baltimore; sisters, Judy Thurston of Roanoke, Va., Marylen Wolfe of Covington, Va., Hilda Mitchell of Manassas, Va., Gladys Wilcher of Salem, Va., Celia Bryant of Iron Gate; brothers, Buddy L. Cary of Iron Gate, Lyle Cary of Baltimore; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchildren.
Service will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Nicely Funeral Home, Clifton Forge, Va., with the Rev. Thomas Helms officiating. Burial will be in Iron Gate Hill Cemetery.
Susie J. Lomasney
December 1900 -
August 1955
(on reverse of George Lomasney's monument)
George Lomasney Jr. - nearby
The Lomasney plot apparently is marked by granite/cement markers with the initial 'L' at the corners.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some new markers... I thought they all had been recorded earlier but found some which had not. I now realize that even I missed at least one!
Lacy Hobart Bryant 1936-1980
Clarence E Bryant 1926-1995
Robert Clayton Bryant 1930-2002
Vicky Bryant Webb 1967-1992; Vicky is one of Clarence Edward Bryant's children
Cecil D.(David) Defibaugh 1945-1989
S Defibaugh 1967-1981
Audrey and Lee Roy Rose together (individual markers already posted)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Gochenour
Gochenour and Bryant sections' proximity
*The Gochenour section of Hill Top is related to the Bryants through proximity and, later, marriage.
The large farm adjacent to Hill Top Cemetery was owned by Alex Gochenour and his wife (still living). It now is under operation of Alex's daughter and her Bryant husband (names of the living are not included here).
Alexander G Gochenhour 1915-1986
Unknown grave, easily found. Old metal marker now unreadable.
(The reason for the fence is not known.)
Lee "Carey" - name spelled differently on the marker
Two Carys - brothers? (individual markers already posted)
Two Roses (individual markers already posted)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**The "Cary Cemetery", portion of Hill Top Cemetery
**The Cary portion of the cemetery contains a number of graves, many of which are marked only by funeral home metal markers. Undoubtedly, there are some graves which bear no marker at all or markers which are unreadable today.
It appears that the Hill Top cemetery contains sections for a number of local families, but there is no central authority for maintaining and organizing the burials. Some family members will work to maintain the gravel road and keep the growth under control. But there is no authority responsible for protection or cleaning or maintaining the gravesites, or even determining where new graves may be placed! Those volunteers who have been taking care of the site are to be commended for their contributions of materials and labor! The cemetery is quite pleasant although there are no places for visitors to sit and reflect.
Some family sections are fairly well marked as to which family is represented. But there are indications of some families which have fewer members. And any relationships between some individuals are as yet unclear.
Some graves are marked by metal funeral home markers, many of which are so old that they are no longer readable. A few of the older, more ornate monuments have been marked with some sort of pink material, which appears to be defamatory but might clean off without significantly damaging the monument surface. It is not known at this time, how to contact existing family members to persuade them to contribute toward the recognition and maintenance of the old graves, especially toward providing better markers.
