Goad Cemetery Goad Cemetery Picture

--Photos by Ray & Lois Etheridge, 2001

Goad Cemetery

Denmark, Arkansas

The following material was first prepared by James Logan Morgan of Newport and published by the White County Historical Society in its 1980 edition of White County Heritage. When he completed his inventory of all legible markers December 9-10, 1979, Morgan was living at 314 Vine Street, Newport, AR 72112.


Goad Cemetery is a large old burying ground in Denmark Township,White County, Arkansas. The United States Geological Survey map (Huff Quadrangle, 1965) indicates that it is located in the Northeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 12 in Township 10 North, Range 6 West. It is located at the western line of Jackson County, Arkansas, and many of the families represented in the cemetery lived in Jackson County.
One way to locate the cemetery is to begin in the southern part of Pleasant Plains, in Independence County, at the point where Arkansas Highway 157 leaves U.S. Highway 167. (This section of U.S. Highway 167 is also Arkansas Highway 87.) The county line between Independence and White Counties (also the line between Townships 10 and 11 North in Range 6 West) is about 2.3 miles southeast of this point in Pleasant Plains., Follow U.S. Highway 167 southeasterly to the Midway community, then due south. About 1.8 miles below the line between Independence and White Counties, turn left (or east) off U.S. Highway 167 onto a gravel road, which leads directly to the cemetery. This road runs almost due east about 1.2 miles; after crossing a narrow bridge near the head of Glaize Creek, there is a sharp curve to the right, and the road (on the line between White and Jackson Counties) continues south about .2 mile, ending at the gate to Goad Cemetery. The cemetery is surrounded by a barbed wire fence and has a barbed wire gate. There is a seldom-used road through the cemetery. A large part of the enclosure is north of the road, and I found only one grave (with a 1979 death date) north of the cemetery road. Near the entrance to the cemetery are the concrete steps of a building which seems to have vanished without a trace. (Perhaps a one-room schoolhouse from years ago?) (Additional information indicates that these steps are from the former Independence Baptist Church building.  The building of that church is now on land obtained from Lloyd Winningham, and is located on Highway 167 just north of the turn-off to the Cemetery.

I have never been more impressed in my 25 years of cemetery inventorying than I was by Goad Cemetery. Though it is not very well maintained, trees have been cut down and there is no dense vegetation which would prevent locating gravestones. The cemetery contains about eight family plots with rock walls around them, some as high as three feet. Unfortunately, about half of these elaborately walled lots have no markers, except unlettered fieldstones or sandstones. The Goad family plot is in the western part of the cemetery, as are other early family burial plots. The graves of Rev. John Goad and his wife are surrounded by a rock wall. The north wall of this plot forms the south wall of another plot, which is also fully walled--one grave space deed and about 24 feet long. There is another rock partition and still another walled plot north of the second one. This third plot is only about eight feet long. In the three rock-walled grave plots, only the spaces occupied by the remains of Rev. John Goad and his wife have markers with lettering. Also impressive are the walled grave plots of the families of Elder J. J. Goad and G. W. Swick--each of which is about 20 feet in length. Another impressive aspect of this cemetery is the existence of about 15 fully rocked individual gravesites--none of which bears any identification. The rock structures covering the individual graves vary from about 1 to 2.5 feet in height. Three of the graves are capped with single stones covering the entire grave spaces. (Unfortunately, shifts in the rocks which support the large stones have resulted in breaking the huge rocks on top.) These three graves are in a row, north to south. There is also a massive brick covering for another grave space. There are many graves marked with unenscribed rocks, and a large number of graves are marked with concrete blocks buried in the ground. It would be a task in itself to count the number of graves which are marked but have no legible identification in this extremely large and old cemetery.


This beautiful cemetery seems to have escaped vandalism. If its history could be more fully developed, it could possibly be a candidate for placement on the National Register of Historic Places. John Goad, J. J. Goad (ordained in 1882 at Union Hill Baptist Church) and John W. Swick (ordained in 1884 at Independence Baptist Church) are Baptist preachers who have tombstones in this historic cemetery.

Twenty-two years after James Logan Morgan wrote the above report, Leroy Blair of the White County Historical Society visited Goad Cemetery with his wife Ellen. On February 26, 2001, they found 42 graves that were not listed in Morgan’s inventory. Following are Leroy Blair’s directions for reaching the cemetery: "From Denmark take Highway 167 north about 1 ¾ miles to the first gravel road to the right. Take this road, which ends at the cemetery. The barbed wire gate mentioned in the 1979 report has been replaced with some three-inch metal pipes made into an entryway and gate a very nice job of welding and building. It is painted white. You can easily see it before you get to it. The cemetery was very clean and well cared for… I found about 100 cement blocks set in the ground even with the top of the ground that mark graves but with nothing on them. There are also a lot of depressions that are probably unmarked graves." Blair returned to the cemetery on December 31, 2004, and double-checked the information below by inspecting the information on each tombstone. At the time, Blair was chairman of the Historical Society’s cemetery committee and a member of the board of directors. He had personally surveyed every known cemetery in White County, and said this is one of the most beautiful.

If you have additional information or corrections on this list, please contact the Historical Society at P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145.

NAMEBIRTHDEATHCOMMENT
Allgood, Golden L. August 7, 1909 April 18, 1994 name on double stone with Iva Allgood
Allgood, Iva March 13, 1916 only date name on double stone with Golden L. Allgood
Bastel, Irene C. August 23, 1908 September 20, 1984 name on double stone with Lewis Bastel
Bastel, Lewis January 24, 1901 February 2, 1981 name on double stone with Irene C. Bastel
Berry, Nettie January 16, 1882 February 13, 1938 Mother
Braddock, J. N. died "AUG XV 1871" (1891?) scratched on rock(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Bragdon, Eugene C. October 30, 1912 September 14, 1988 name on double stone with Evelyn M. Bragdon
Bragdon, Evelyn M. May 3, 1914 April 10, 1986 name on double stone with Eugene C. Bragdon
Brown, Guy H. April 15, 1916 February 6, 2004 Pfc U.S. Army WWII name on ds with Marchie Ann Brown
Brown, Marchie Ann (Goad) December 21, 1904 December 27, 1992 name on double stone with Guy H. Brown
Brown, Tina Marie April 23, 1967 August 17, 1993
Bryan, Loya September 8, 1918 September 10, 1918
Burrow, Ella Turner September 29, 1888 February 12, 1978
Chandler, G. Russell March 17, 1939 only date name on double stone with Nina L. Chandler
Chandler, Nina L. February 10, 1940 only date name on double stone with G. Russell. Chandler
Cleveland, John October 25, 1882 September 2, 1884 son of J.C. and N.E. Cleveland
Cleveland, Joseph Turner January 31, 1879 July 7, 1879 son of J.C. and Nancy E. Cleveland
Cleveland, Nancy E. September 11, 1855 October 26, 1884 wife of J.C. Cleveland
Curtis, C. B. January 18, 1919 February 5, 1941 funeral home marker(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Curtis, Elva "AGE 33"   (carved on rock)(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Curtis, Mrs. Effie   died January 6, 1940 age 46 yrs., 11 mos., 5 days funeral home marker (not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Davis, Clarence N. March 10, 1927 January 24, 1993 Pfc U.S. Army
Davis, Franklin February 21, 1951 September 27, 1990 AE1 U.S. Navy
Davis, Roy Gene September 2, 1944 March 21, 1979
Davis, Stella M. September 9, 1931 June 21, 2001
Dildine, Berry December 18, 1945 April 4, 2001 name on double stone with Mary Dildine
Dildine, Mary November 30, 1948 only date name on double stone with Berry Dildine
Dunsmoor, George B. November 19, 1919 April 13, 1991 name on double stone with Grace G. Dunsmoor
Dunsmoor, Grace G. October 25, 1922 only date name on double stone with George B. Dunsmoor
E T S   no other information scratched on rock(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Eden, James April 18, 1953 August 20, 1997 name on double stone with Kathy Eden
Eden, Kathy May 25, 1952 only date name on double stone with James Eden
Edwards, Julia A. August 6, 1880 September 2, 1905
Everidge, William Sanford August 20, 1941 September 30, 2014
Fraser, Jas. B. March 7, 1859 February 25, 1923
Fraser, Mary Isabel January 4, 1858 December 9, 1938
Fuller, Jimmie Dean May 8, 1905 June 22, 1905 funeral home marker
Goad, Alma D. December 15, 1883 December 17, 1977
Goad, Armeda February 17, 1905 May 20, 1905 funeral home marker(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Goad, Delpha March 2, 1895 February 19, 1952 Arkansas Pvt. 141 MG BN 39 Div. WWI
Goad, Delpha Jr. April 14, 1905 April 15, 1905
Goad, Docie N. November 19, 1870 May 24, 1872
Goad, Dora L. September 25, 1874 September 25, 1875
Goad, Edwin April 5, 1905 April 5, 1905
Goad, Eld. J. J. August 4, 1845 May 20, 1919 Buried in J. J. Goad family plot
Goad, Elizabeth October 11, 1809 October 3, 1875 age 65 yrs., 11 mos., 22 days grave is inside the rocked-in plot with Rev. John Goad
Goad, Eva E. March 2, 1891 June 8, 1978.
Goad, Fannie E. May 22, 1877 August 30, 1880 Buried in J. J. Goad family plot
Goad, G. H. January 18, 1872 June 4, 1944
Goad, Gabrel February 22, 1870 April 26, 1914 son of G.H. and Julie Ann Goad
Goad, George W. July ?, 1830 March ?, 1879 concrete marker
Goad, J. W. February 4, 1863 May 2, 1943
Goad, Jacob November 25, 1873 September 21, 1930 name on double stone with Meda Goad
Goad, John A. February 15, 1889 October 12, 1881 Buried in J. J. Goad family plot
Goad, Julie Ann Died 1903 no other information concrete marker
Goad, Meda January 29, 1875 July 14, 1967 name on double stone with Jacob Goad
Goad, Merle D. March 15, 1924 March 7, 1998 U.S. Merchant Marine WWII
Goad, Quintella July 25, 1849 November 14, 1939 wife of J. J. Goad Buried in J. J. Goad family plot
Goad, Rev. John September 6, 1806 December 3, 1887
Hall, Ann Taylor January 13, 1947 September 20, 1992
Harrington, George W. August 16, 1866 November 4, 1866 son of M.V. and S.F. Harrington
Harrington, Mary F. February 14, 1868 April 27, 1871 daughter of M.V. and S.F. Harrington
Harrington, Sarah C. June 15, 1874 September 11, 1878 daughter of M.V. and S.F. Harringtonstone  is broken
Harrington, Sarah F. August 29, 1845 November 27, 1887 wife of M.V. Harringtonstone is broken
Hodges, Claude July 21, 1894 September 11, 1980 U.S. Army WWI
Hodges, Ethel July 6, 1899 September 26, 1902
Hodges, Margaret May 20, 1868 August 1, 1956
Jacobs, Nora Katherine June 13, 1968 June 14, 2001
Jenkins, Clyde Leslie February 4, 1913 June 30, 1995 funeral home marker(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Jenkins, Geneva   died January 6, 1940 age 4 yrs., 8 mos., 13 days funeral home marker(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Marshall, Homer May 8, 1945 only date name on double stone with Peggy Winningham Marshall
Marshall, Ophelia Ann March 1, 1924 December ?, 2004 name on double stone with Raymond Marshall
Marshall, Peggy Winningham April 2, 1946 name on double stone with Homer Marshall
Marshall, Raymond March 17, 1930 September 16, 2014 name on double stone with Ophelia Marshall
Money, Mallory Renee August 1, 1984 December 8, 2003
Pankey, Edward Wayne April 27, 1939 April 28, 1939 son of Edward and Dorthy Pankey
Rhoden, Matilda Jane July 7, 1849 October 12, 1888
Robertson, Helen Bonita May 20, 1962 December 29, 1998
Scantlin, Ann May 2, 1825 September 4, 1868 grave is rocked in
Scantlin, Robert July 4, 1816 March 3, 1907
Scott, Robert Neil August 2, 1938 July 15, 1999 U.S. Army Vietnam
Shaver, Ruth December 20, 1912 July 12, 1973
Sherrill, Arilla Mae August 12, 1932 August 24, 1933 daughter of W.L. and R.M.S. Sherrill(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Siler, Doyne Edwin August 11, 1933 December 13, 2013
Skinner, George W. May 24, 1927 November 16, 1996
Skinner, Sherman Morris May 22, 1940 June 4, 1997
Smith, Leva D. December 31, 1908 October 13, 1999
Spraggins, Josephine P. February 24, 1889 June 19, 1920 wife of W. G. Spraggins (not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Swick, G. W. June 1, 1828 March 10, 1876 Buried in Geo. W. Swick family plot
Swick, James F. September 27, 1866 August 19, 1873 Buried in Geo. W. Swick family plot
Swick, John W. December 17, 1861 February 17, 1886 " A MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL" Buried in Geo. W. Swick family plot
Swick, Sarah A. (Westmoreland) March 29, 1839 December 29, 1896 wife of George W. Swick Buried in Geo. W. Swick family plot
Swick, Sarah Elizabeth May 1, 1870 July 14, 1879 Buried in Geo. W. Swick family plot
Taylor, Alice K. November 16, 1922 only date name on double stone with Henry Z. Taylor
Taylor, Henry Z. November 28, 1909 January 16, 1988 name on double stone with Alice K. Taylor
Turner, Mary Ann February 8, 1905 April 28, 1905 name on double stone with William H. Turner
Turner, William H. February 5, 1905 December 6, 1947 name on double stone with Mary Ann Turner
Vick, Turner A. July 25, 1810 March 15, 1885 (not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
W. B. no other information   painted on concrete(not found during the cemetery survey done on December 31, 2004)
Whitlow, Larrah April 29, 1877 July 3, 1900
Whitlow, Parrilee February 15, 1852 July 1, 1935
Whitlow, Sarrah January 9, 1872 January 15, 1882
Whitlow, Stephen January 27, 1870 October 18, 1870
Whitlow, Stephen C. November 24, 1821 August 25, 1868
Williamham ,Bryan Loya September 8, 1918 September 10, 1918 Son of Jacob B and Mytrle Winnigham
Winningham, Burnas October 2, 1930 December 14, 1930
Winningham, Caroline F. October 27, 1864 September 17, 1945
Winningham, Clinton D. December 12, 1918 July 23, 1988 name on double stone with Syble L. Winningham
Winningham, Elizabeth "Lizzie" July 12, 1892 October 4, 1968 name on doublestone with William H. Winningham
Winningham, Howard V. May 29, 1921 March 7, 1923
Winningham, Infant no dates son of Floyd and Elizabeth Winningham
Winningham, J. M. April 19, 1855 April 25, 1930 father of Floyd, William H, Hohn, Jacob B. alma, and Lena Winningham, and Eva E. "Evie"[Winningham
Winningham, Jacob Bryan December 16, 1897 April 30, 1977 son of J.M and Caroline F Winningham and the father of Elva [Winningham] Fraser, Bryan Loya Winningham, Lloyd James Winningham, Lonnie Lee Winningham, Raymond Winningham and James Mitchell Winningham
Winningham, Larry J July 20, 1948 June 3, 1988 name on double stone with Mary R. Winningham
Winningham, Leo June 4, 1916 August 18, 1996 Pvt. U. S. Army WWII name on ds with Pauline Winningham
Winningham, Mary R. March 6, 1948 only date name on double stone with Larry Winningham
Winningham, Myrtle L. June 22, 1892 October 5, 1985
Winningham, Pauline June 8, 1919 May 16, 1983 name on double stone with Leo Winningham
Winningham, Raymond March 7, 1930 January 16, 2005 Son of Jacob B and Myrtle Winningham
Winningham, Ronald Lee December 4, 1946 March 4, 2006 Newport Municipal Judge - Son of Maudlene (Goad)White and Lonnie Lee Winninham, Grandson of Jacob B. and Myrtle Winningham
Winningham, Syble L. July 4, 1926 April 13, 2000 name on double stone with Clinton D. Winningham
Winningham, Sylvia F. April 3, 1944 September 8, 1944 concrete marker
Winningham, William H. April 20, 1885 March 21, 1953 Name on double stone with Elizsbeth Winningham
Winningham. Lloyd James December 18, 1919 April 11, 2006 name on double stone with Welcie T. Winningham Son of Jacob B and Myrtle Winningham
Winningham. Welcie T. March 21, 1921 only date name on double stone with Lloyd J. Winningham