--Photo by Gerald Torrence

Gilbert Cemetery

Russell, Arkansas

This site, also known as O’Neal Cemetery, is located at the west side of the city. From Hwy 67N, take the Russell exit (60) and enter the city from the east. Crossing the railroad tracks, turn left onto Hwy 367 and go south to Vine Street; turn right on Vine and continue until it dead ends; turn left on Second Street and follow it until it ends, then turn right and continue approximately 150 yards. The cemetery is up on the hill to the left from the house that is there.

This cemetery was originally listed November 8, 1981, as "O’Neal Cemetery," by Cloie and Leister E. Presley of the White County Historical Society and published in the 1988 White County Heritage. It was fenced and had a gate March 17, 2000, when Tommy H. Treadway of the White County Historical Society updated the Presleys’ work. "The cemetery is maintained and most of the stones are in good shape," he reported. "Some sunken spots were seen, apparently old gravesites." He said he was told the cemetery was first called Gilbert because the first individual buried there was a small child whose last name was "Gilbert". A one-year-old boy named Gilbert was buried here in 1877.

The records were updated again December 7, 2000, by Historical Society member Leroy Blair. He found 19 mounds or depressions that were probably unmarked graves, nine graves marked only with rocks and 11 other graves with funeral home markers that were no longer legible. Blair was chairman of the WCHS cemetery committee and a member of the board when he visited the cemetery again January 7, 2005, and made additions and adjustments to this list.

The cemetery was visited in June 2004 by Historical Society member Scott Akridge, who noted that it is on "a very old road" from Searcy to Grand Glaize. "Carter Cemetery and another cemetery at Bald Knob are also on this old road.  This road predates the railroad and thus likely was a pre-Civil War route as well." Blair, who is chairman of the Historical Society’s cemetery committee and a member of the Board of Directors, visited the cemetery again on the last day of 2004 and double-checked the information below against what he saw on the tombstones, making some corrections and other adjustments.

The gravesites are alphabetized here for convenience but were listed numerically by the Presleys as indicated in parenthesis following each name. They reported seeing "at least 30" unmarked graves.

If you have corrections or additions to this list, or other information on O’Neal Cemetery, contact the White County Historical Society, P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145.

Name Loc Birth Death Comments
Barnes, Ann -39 1884 1922
Barnes, Ed I. -38 1874 1958
Barnes, Edwin M. -32 June 30, 1832 February 10, 1899 name on double stone with Mattie E. Barnes
Barnes, Mattie E. -31 December 12, 1835 October 26, 1895 name on double stone with Edwin M. Barnes
Barnes, Mattie E. -34 1872 1950
Bray, Porter -5 1879 1929
Burnett, Ethel T. -58 May 8, 1907 April 11, 1940 name on stone with infant son
Burnett, Infant no dates son of Ethel T. Burnett - name on stone with Ethel T. Burnett
Burnett, Joseph W. -59 July 15, 1903 December 26, 1978
Burnett, Scotty O. -60 July 10, 1935 November 22, 1975
Burnett, Vernon W. -57 November 10, 1930 December 27, 1930
Byrd, Mary C. -7 1863 1954
Byrd, Noah W. (8), March 3, 1898 August 25, 1912 son of J.E. and M.C. Byrd
Cook, Howard Preston -56 born and died March 2, 1934
Craig, Maudie -23 February 16, 1897 March 5, 1897 daughter of J.W. and L.C. Craig stone off its base in 2004
Dobbs, Callie Mae January 4, 1916 July 26, 1974 name on double stone with Delphard "Dude"Dobbs
Dobbs, Delphard "Dude" June 13, 1911 April 27, 1974 name on double stone with Callie Mae Dobbs
Folsom, Austin C. -45 March 6, 1879 October 9, 1900
Folsom, Charles M. -46 November 25, 1825 July 6, 1891 7thIndpt. Btry Wis. Lt. Arty. - military marker
Folsom, Cornelia Knapp -47 October 13, 1845 February 13, 1918 wife of Charles M. Folsom
Folsom, W.T. -44 November 6, 1869 October 31, 1911
Gilbert, Infant (61), March 23, 1876 August 9, 1877 son of S.S. and H.R. Gilbert
Gilbert, Mother -63 October 30, 1843 1886
Gilbert, Nellie E. -64 March 3, 1878 April 2, 1897 stone broken
Gilbert, Sam W. -49 March 16, 1874 May 1, 1967
Gilbert, Samuel S. -62 September 1?, 1838 February 20, 1899? stone broken and almost unreadable
Goad, John W. (36), June 3, 1868 March 30, 1887 son of J.L. and C.M. Goad
Good, Canarisa M. -35 July 12, 1840 in Ballard Co., KY April 10, 1890
Hammond, Corine -65 November 20, 1896 April 9, 1897. Daughter of S.D. & E.L. Hammond
Hammond, Elizabeth -66 December 25, 1893 October 9, 1896 daughter of S.D. and E.L. Hammond
Hammond, Eva -67 1871 1899
Hilton, W.R. -48 September 16, 1848 November 14, 1897
Litherland, Della -28 1888 1902 Sister
Litherland, James A. -29 1852 1924 name on double stone with Mary E. Litherland.
Litherland, Mary E. -30 1885 1927 name on double stone with James A. Litherland
Litherland, Sarah J. -27 December 11, 1879 April 4, 1911 wife of Ira Litherland
Matlock, Paul T. -1 April 17, 1919 February 20, 1978
McGehee, Benjamin F. -33 May 11, 1842 May 21, 1918 very large massive stone
McNatt, Willie Mae -74 1910 1914
Moore, Edna Odell -53 October 25, 1922 July 30, 1929
Moore, Harold -37 May 7, 1907 November 1, 1937
Moore, Helen -52 November 26, 1912 June 6, 1924
Moore, Josiah -21 February 25, 1828 December 24, 1912 Mason
Moore, Josiah "Joe" Jr. -50 November 2, 1874, in White County May 11, 1929 at Russell
Moore, Lenora -51 January 9, 1885 July 22, 1926 wife of Joe Moore
Moore, Palmyra -20 August 29, 1841 April 20, 1923 wife of Josiah Moore
Moore, Robert M. (22) no dates Co. E. 3rd Ark. Cav. C.S.A.
Nelson, Junita -55 April 20, 1909 May 31, 1935
Nelson, Nellie Gilbert September 28, 1904 October 31, 1996
Newman, Bertha December 29, 1891 January 20, 1982
Newman, Daniel A. -54 February 9, 1883 August 9, 1952
O’Neal, Grace M. -69 1878 1958 name on double stone with W.B. O’Neal
O’Neal, J.W. -71 January 4, 1835 May 8, 1891 stone turned over in 2004
O’Neal, James M. -75 October 19, 1857 January 12, 1910
O’Neal, Lawrence -68 June 17, 1908 September 22, 1939
O’Neal, Perry E. -72 died March 25, 1941 age 64 years, 6 months, 8 days - funeral home marker this grave was not found during the cemetery survey on December 31, 2004
O’Neal, Rebecca C. -76 June 15, 1864 October 20, 1946
O’Neal, W.B. -70 1869 1938 name on double stone with Grace M. O’Neal
Odle, Anthony R. -40 February 2, 1839 October 10, 1890 Co. G. 9 Ind. Regt. U.S. Inf. rocked grave covered with concrete slab
Ostella, Carl Norman -4 1944 1945 son of Arthur and Margaret Perryman Ostella
Pennington, Charles S. February 26, 1932 August 14, 1996 SP4 U.S. Army – this grave was not found during the cemetery survey on December 31, 2004
Pennington, Elmena S. -9 1901 1966 name on double stone with Robert A. Pennington
Pennington, Robert A. -10 1899 1966 name on double stone with Elmena S. Pennington
Perryman, Carl Norman 1914 1945 son of Arthur & Margaret Perryman
Roberts, George -3 1868 1958
Roberts, Ted D. -2 April 7, 1918 February 12, 1967
Roetzel, Carl D. -16 1939 1940
Roetzel, Loyd B. -17 1915 1916
Ross, Jimmy W. -6 August 13, 1936 December 15, 1948
Singletary, Charles A. -12 November 27, 1850 December 8, 1909
Smith, Arthur T. January 23, 1914 September 25, 1987 Powell Funeral Home marker.
Smith, Billy Ray February 11, 1933 April 29, 1987 name on double stone with Joan Smith.
Smith, Joan April 21, 1935 only date name on double stone with Billy Ray Smith married April 30, 1953
Williams, Maud Edna -73 December 27, 1906 August 14, 1932 stone turned over
Wood, Alonzo A. -25 1856 1923
Wood, Alvis A. -15 1882 1932 name on triple stone with Minnie and Howard Wood
Wood, Atlee Franklin -19 October 3, 1892 October 23, 1918
Wood, Cecil J. -18 1896 1917
Wood, Harry -42 1905 only date infant name on double stone with Oscar Wood
Wood, Henrietta -26 1867 1902
Wood, Hettie -24 1875 1935 stone off its base in 2004
Wood, Howard A. -14 1907 1909 name on triple stone with Minnie and Alvis Wood
Wood, Joe D. -41 1880 1938
Wood, Minnie B. -13 1887 1912 name on triple stone with Howard and Alvis Wood
Wood, Oscar -43 1906 only date infant name on double stone with Harry Wood.
Wood, Wayne Sutherlin January 21, 1928 August 15, 2003 husband of Juanita Burnett Wood this grave was not found during the cemetery survey on December 31, 2004.
Recent unmarked grave due east next row from Arthur T. Smith may be Wayne Sutherlin Wood or Charles S. Pennington