Spears Family Cemetery

Harrisonburg Rockingham Historical Society

Rockingham County Tombstones by Cemetery

Cemetery	Spears Family Cemetery
Location	North of Edom, Rockingham County, Virginia. From corner of Route 33 West (W. Market Street) and Route 42 in Harrisonburg, take Route 42 North. Go 7.3 miles then turn right on to property with house and barn. Take road behind the barn, through gates and field, to cemetery up on the hill, with a white fence around it. Need permission from owner to visit the cemetery.
Notes	In 2003, owner has erected a white fence around the cemetery. The cemetery is not maintained. Upon visiting the cemetery (2003) there were about seven stones visible and only one was partially legible. All previous recordings were combined. Row 001 are headstones found at one time. Row 002 are footstones recorded. Row 003 are stones found outside of fence, about 50 feet away in open pasture field, recorded by John W. Wayland in 1933. In 1998 Dale MacAllister noted, "The iron fence was completely down and the ornate cast iron posts were scattered and down. All stones were down or broken." On September 5, 1933, John W. Wayland wrote, "The graves of the four Spears and J. R. Glasgow are inside an iron fence; the others noted (and many more without stones or legible inscriptions) are in a frail enclosure nearby. Probably the graveyard was once much larger than now appears. A decaying wild cherry tree is in the west corner of the Spears iron fence." He continued, "The notation beginning with Mary Lair were made November 28, 1932, when I made a second visit, this time with Joseph K. Ruebush. We located the course of the old road near the site of the church and graveyard. A Methodist church once stood on the hill where the graveyard is. The Bryans were near here, numerous, and one I think was a Methodist preacher. I imagine they helped to build this church. K. Pennybacker place was formerly the Bryan home." In 1967 J. Robert Swank wrote, "The Spears Family Cemetery is on farm opposite Wengers Mill on Route 42 north of Edom, Virginia, on hill east of the barn along the fence. There may be others buried here. Plot was formerly enclosed by durable iron fence, part of which is down and greatly neglected. Marriage bond shows William A. Glasgow married June 15, 1847 to Elizabeth M. Spears daughter of C. C. Spears. In another plot within fifty feet in open pasture field, the stones are down and mostly limestone or fieldstones. There is evidence, from the space covered, of other graves. The Bryans, Greens, and Chrismans were early land owners in this section. The following early Spears marriages are recorded in Rockingham County Courthouse records: 1783 Margaret to Christian Riffe, 1793 Sally to John Rader, 1793 Hannah to Jonathan Newman, 1793 John to Margaret Chrisman, 1801 David to Barbara Boyer, 1847 Elizabeth A. to William A. Glasgow, 1852 Rebecca B. to William R. Warren." Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) recorded this cemetery and added notes, "David Wenger, son of Isaac, as a boy remembered a Christman grave was moved from here to Cooks Creek cemetery. The skeleton was extremely large. Some thought a very early Linville Creek Presbyterian congregation may have had a church or used a school house near this cemetery. Hersay--Bryan homes were at Pennybacker place and at the Neff home just north of the Wenger home. Christman homes were stone house and mill house. These were later Coffman (stone house later Moffett Newman). A Coffman son bought lamd (probably from Christman) and built a large brick house. The house (and mill) was bought by Isaac Wenger around Civil War beginning. The Spears home was Christine Swank home now (1966) west of Edom, one mile on Singers Glen Road."
Survey Date and Recorder	30 July 2003 Lois Emswiler & Louise Gilkerson

Cemetery Index

Surnames are sorted by section / plot / row / grave - only rows are shown

Row	Surname	Given Name & MI	Birth Date	Death Date	Headstone Notes	Remarks
001	Spears	Selina Ann	17 Apr 1828	18 Feb 1842		EMU shows b. 12 Apr 1828; Swank & Wayland 17 Apr 1828
001	Spears	Charles C.	7 Mar 1802	10 Nov 1855	s/John & M.	Wayland & EMU show born 1802; Swank has 1809
001	Spears	Margaret M.	16 Jan 1802	4 Nov 1854	married 26 Oct 1825; w/Charles C.; d/John & Nancy Chrisman	Wayland shows b. 16 Jan 1802; Swank has 16 March 1802
001	Glasgow	Joseph Ried	2 Jan 1849	Apr 1849	s/William A. & Elizabeth M.	Wayland & EMU show year 1849; Swank shows year 1848; In 1998 Dale MacAllister noted Wm. A. & Eliz. M. Spears Glasgow were married in1847
001	Spears	Matilda Brown	26 Jan 1834	7 Jun 1835	d/C. C. & M. M.
002	Footstone	M. B. S.				Matilda Brown Spears
002	Footstone	C. C. S.				Charles C. Spears
002	Footstone	M. M. S.				Margaret M. Spears
002	Footstone	J. R. G.				Jos. Ried Glasgow
002	Footstone	S. I. S.				Unknown or possibly Selina Ann Spears
003	Bryan	T.		8 Jan 1798		Not sure date birth or death year; EMU shows year as 1783
003	Warren	Crecy			Aged 7 yrs	Recorded by Swank & EMU
003	Bryan	D.				Recorded by Swank & EMU
003	Green	Joseph		1782		Recorded by Swank & EMU
003	Hank	E.		Dec 18_2		Recorded by Swank & EMU
003	Bryan	B.				Recorded by EMU only
003	Unknown	R. (or B.) T.				Recorded by Swank only
003	Unknown	M. T.				Recorded by Swank only
003	Lair	Mary		30 Jan 1797 ?		Recorded by Wayland only
003	Lair	Hannah		Jan 1797 ?	Aged 12 years	Recorded by Wayland only; on stone with Mary

Cemetery

Location

Notes