John A. Foster Cemetery

Bald Knob, Arkansas

Photo by Leroy Blair

This Cemetery is also known as: Hopewell Cemetery.

Legal description:

NW, SW, SW, Sect. 18, T8N, R5W

GPS Location: 628400-3908674

Arkansas Archeological Survey site #:

3WH0654

Number of Marked Graves: About 25

Number of Unmarked Graves: Unknown

The last complete survey of this cemetery was: September 13, 2000 By Leroy Blair.

Current status of cemetery: This cemetery is no longer in use.

Point of contact for cemetery. No know contact person.



This cemetery is located on an acre about 30 yards behind the residence at 1506 West Center Street, Bald Knob. The home was

owned by Darrell and Gladys Throckmorton in June 1992 when Lois and Ray Etheridge prepared the following list, which was

published in the White County Heritage of 1995 by the White County Historical Society. In a deed dated February 20, 1892, James

K. Etheridge sold 15 acres of land to N.D. Young, reserving the one acre with access to be known as the John A. Foster Cemetery.

Two months after the Etheridges completed their list, the Bald Knob Banner published their material about the cemetery and its

origin. Subsequently, local descendents of Burns, Etheridge and Hobbs fenced and cleared an area around the graves.

The cemetery was visited September 13, 2000, by Leroy Blair of the White County Historical Society, who reported seeing 15

graves marked only with rocks and no names or dates. All of the stones listed in the Etheridge report were still in place although

the 110-year-old J.B. Robbins stone had been broken.

Who was John A. Foster? Lois Etheridge, also a member of the White County Historical Society, stated in 1999 that according to

family legend, John A. Foster was killed in the Civil War "up around Fort Smith." But family historians have not been able to confirm

this. (See the history of the Rubottom families written by Gary Telford of the White County Historical Society in April 2004.)

If you have corrections or additions to this list or other information on this Cemetery Contact the White County Historical Society,

P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145. Or phone 501- 278- 5010

Following is a list of known burials in this cemetery.

“Our Baby” – Small stone - No dates listed - John A. Foster Cemetery

Etheridge, Bertha – 1881 – 1911 - John A. Foster Cemetery

Etheridge, James – 1880 – 1910 - John A. Foster Cemetery

Etheridge, James K. April 17, 1845 – March 11, 1901 - DS with Nancy J. Etheridge - John A. Foster Cemetery

Etheridge, Nancy J. – December 17, 1845 – February 14, 1888 - DS with James K. Etheridge - John A. Foster Cemetery

Foster, Frances – September 6, 1877 – May 6, 1893 - Daughter of Thomas F. & M.E. Foster - John A. Foster Cemetery

Foster, Thomas F. – June 27, 1848 – November 30, 1916 - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Almeda – Small stone - No dates listed - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Benj. M. – August 9, 1883 – March 16, 1884 - Son of J.B. & E.M. Robbins - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Dewey – Small stone - No dates listed - John A. Foster Cemetery



Robbins, Elvira C. – November 2, 1863 – September 15, 1904 – Large stone near small Robbins stones - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, J.B. – March 1, 1862 – February 11, 1890 - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Jessie E. – January 8, 1885 – March 16, 1887- Son of J.B. & E.M. Robbins - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Lillie May – February 20, 1889 – August 7, 1891 - Daughter of J.B. & E.M. Robbins - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Masura – Small stone - No dates listed - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Wesley – Small stone - No dates listed - John A. Foster Cemetery

Robbins, Winnie S. – December 26, 1886 – March 13, 1899 - Son of J.B. & E.M. Robbins - John A. Foster Cemetery

Rubottom, Alpha Pearl Bell – June 12, 1891 – October 1, 1891 – Child of William & Martha Rubottom - John A. Foster Cemetery

Rubottom, Alvin Claudious – December 5, 1892 – March ?, 1916 – Son of William & Martha Rubottem - John A. Foster Cemetery

Rubottom, Hermon Wilson – December 31, 1911 – June 30, 1912 - John A. Foster Cemetery

Rubottom, John Landrum – February 22, 1880 – June 21, 1905 – Son of William & Martha Rubottem - John A. Foster Cemetery

Rubottom, Leander – August 22, 1883 – December 20, 1886 – Son of William & Martha Rubottem

Rubottom, Martha Elizabeth (Foster) – August 31, 1859 – December 29, 1942 – DS with William P. – Daughter of John Landrum &

Martha (Hart) Foster

Rubottom, William P. – March 2, 1857 – March 1, 1951 - DS with Martha E. Rubottom - John A. Foster Cemetery

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Legend: Copyright-Aug.23, 2016-Paul V. Isbell-Webmaster:

Most of the cemetery information listed was collected by Leroy “Lee” Blair Former member of the White

County Historical Society Board of Directors. Now working at the White County Historical Society office on

the square in Searcy. WCHS P. O. Box 537 Searcy, Ark. 72145.



If you have any additions or corrections to the burial listing please contact the Historical Society. Phone 501-

278-5010 or Email me at

lblblair74@gmail.com

or wchs1962@gmail.com

I will be posting more burials later. The Searcy Daily Citizen donated all their Micro Film and Ledgers dating

back to 1953. After reviewing them, if I find a death of a person that we do not have I will to add to the

cemetery listings.

There are some graves listed as unmarked that may have had a tombstone set since the listing was made.

I may have missed some graves when I prepared the listing. Some cemeteries are very hard to get an

accurate listing due to how some graves are scattered

The following Abbreviations are used in the listings

.

FM-Funeral home marker DS-Double tombstone TS-Triple tombstone

(Obit)-means that the Historical Society has, or has access to the Obituary for this person.