Morris Family Cemetery

Denmark, Arkansas

 

This unique family cemetery is the final resting place of several generations of the proud Morris family that settled in this area before the Civil War.  Lovingly maintained by descendants of the original settler, Henry P. Morris, the attractive site is located two miles west of Denmark on the old Morris Farm.    

Morris Family Cemetery was first listed by Annalee Morris of the White County Historical Society in the 1988 edition of White County Heritage, the Society’s annual historical publication.    She reported, “The cemetery goes beyond the fenced-in area” and includes three-quarters of an acre.   According to family tradition, she said, the cemetery was started when an unidentified traveler was buried there, listed in row 1, plot 1 on the list below.   Annalee Morris’ list was by rows and plots.  It has been listed alphabetically here for convenience and the numbers in parenthesis refer to the original row and plot numbers on the 1988 list. 

The cemetery was visited by Leroy and Ellen Blair of the White County Historical Society on February 26, 2001, and again December 30, 2004. They added 13 names to the list from tombstones in the cemetery and made other adjustments.   Following are their directions for reaching this cemetery:   “From Denmark take Highway 167 north about a mile and turn left on Jerry Smith Road. Go about two miles.   The cemetery is on the left just before the intersection of Jerry Smith Road and Morris Drive.  This is a nice cemetery, well cared for.  It has a flagpole with a stone dedicated to the members of the family who served their country.  This area is lighted at night.  There do not appear to be any unmarked graves.”

Another Historical Society member, genealogist William Gary Telford of Bald Knob, prepared a comprehensive history of the Morris family in 2006 and incorporated some of his findings into the listings below.

If you have corrections or additional information on this cemetery, contact the White County Historical Society, P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145.

September 7, 1916
Name Birth Death Comments
Dillard, Daniel Charles November 2, 1946 only date - on double stone with Sandra (Morris) Dillard
Dillard, Sandra Denise (Morris) May 2, 1953 only date daughter of Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt and Avinell Ozella “Jo” (Ransom) Morris - on double stone with Daniel Charles Dillard
Henson, Mary L. (Morris) August 8, 1921 May 15, 2004 daughter of George and Pearl (Hammond) Morris mother of Ron Henson
Hodges, Anna Lee “Annie” (Morris) “Annie”  (3-25) July 22, 1863 February 29, 1904 wife of Richard Hodges daughter of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris Sarah Morris sent a note to the county clerk permitting Annie and Richard to be married
Hodges, Richard M. (3-24) February 3, 1905 April 25, 1905 husband of Anna Lee Morris
Hodges, Susan Madora (3-26) March 11, 1882 February 23, 1905 daughter of Richard M. and Anna Lee (Morris) Hodges
Hoofman, Infant (2-18) no dates child of Albert H. and Sally L. “Toad” (Morris) Hoofman grandchild of John Harvey Sr. and Nancy Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Thrasher) Morris
Milliken, Child (2-14) no dates George Morris said this was a Milliken child marker was installed in 1957 by Euna Siler and James and Alein Morris
Morris, Alein Leonora (Murie) (2-19) April 26, 1927 only date wife of James Bruce Morris Sr.
Morris, Annalee (Bachman) September 22, 1947 February 24, 2001 on double stone with James B. Morris Jr.
Morris, Avinell Ozella “Jo” (Ransom) (2-21) April 3, 1924 April 25, 1994 wife of Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt Morris
Morris, Ecil Odell October 16, 1916 July 14, 1994 U.S. Navy WWII and Korea buried in Glen Abby Memorial Park Cemetery, San Diego, California husband of Emogene Dale (Siler) Morris
Morris, Edna (1-4) June 2, 1860 August 21, 1860 daughter of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris this grave was not found during the cemetery survey done December 31, 2004
Morris, Henry P. (1-5)  June 2, 1826 January 19, 1868 - husband of Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris Co. C, 8th Arkansas Cavalry - Civil War veteran marker
Morris, James Bruce Jr. March 6, 1945 only date - on double stone with Annalee (Bachman) Morris
Morris, John B. (1-10) no dates this marker is placed next to Nancy Thrasher Morris in memory of John B. Morris, Company C, 8th Arkansas Cavalry, captured at Westport, Missouri, and died at Camp Morton, Indiana - he is buried in Green Lawn Cemetery (Confederate Section) grave #1335 - he served with Henry P. Morris
Morris, John Harvey Sr. (1-8) December 13, 1858 March 4, 1899 son of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris - on double stone with Nancy Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Thrasher) Morris
Morris, John Harvey II (1-11) January 18, 1888 October 4, 1951 son of John Harvey Sr. and Nancy Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Thrasher) Morris husband of Cora (King) and Pearl Lou (Aunspaugh) Morris
Morris, LCDR James Bruce Sr. (2-20) May 18, 1924 December 11, 1956 - U.S. Navy pilot, killed in air crash husband of Alein Leonora (Murie) Morris
Morris, Lita Cele (Simmons) March 23, 1914 September 4, 2002 wife of Col. Raymond Claude Morris
Morris, M.W. (1-4) January 28, 1854 March 22, 1854 child of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris this grave was not found during the cemetery survey done December 31, 2004
Morris, Manzel Monroe (1-7) January 12, 1884 September 12, 1887 son of John Harvey Sr. and Nancy Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Thrasher) Morris
Morris, Matthew J. April 15, 1983 December 10, 1999 son of George “David” and Beth Ann (Jackson) Morris
Morris, Nancy Elizabeth (Thrasher) (1-9) December 12, 1857 February 4, 1920 daughter of John B. Jr. and Martha Catherine (Horn) Thrasher - on double stone with John Harvey Morris Sr.
Morris, Oma Bea (Nuckolis) - - -
April 15, 2008
Morris, Raymond Claude (Col.) November 10, 1913 March 11, 1996 son of John Harvey Morris II and Pearl Lou (Aunspaugh) Morris Col. U.S. Army WWII and Korea
Morris, Sarah Thomas (Howerton) October 31, 1834 August 21, 1899 daughter of Capt. John and Juliet (Cook) Howerton wife of Henry P. Morris
Morris, Stephen Maddison “Matt” (1-2) March 15, 1868 August 3, 1938 “Uncle Matt” son of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris husband of Mellvina “Millie” (Waring) Morris
Morris, Theodore “Ted” Roosevelt (2-22) February 21, 1906 January 5, 1979 son of John Harvey Morris II and Cora (King) Morris - U.S. Coast Guard WWII husband of Avinell Ozella “Jo” (Ransom)
Morris, Three Children no dates M.W., Edna and W.F., children of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris
Morris, W.F. (1-4) September 13, 1866 December 19, 1866 child of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris this grave was not found during the cemetery survey done December 31, 2004
Siler, Alton Maudine (Morris) February 12, 1915 February 22, 2008 daughter of John Harvey Morris II and Pearl Lou (Aunspaugh) Morris on triple stone with Ira Siler and Cinda Pearl Siler
Siler, Cinda Pearl November 17, 1938 only date - on triple stone with Ira Siler and Alton Maudine (Morris) Siler
Siler, Euna (Morris) (2-13) February 8, 1899 October 5, 1972 wife of James Coneley Siler daughter of Stephen Madison “Matt” and Mellvina (Waring) Morris
Siler, Ira February 14, 1911 February 9, 1996 on triple stone with Alton Morris Siler and Cinda Pearl Siler
Siler, James Coneley (2-12) April 1, 1896 May 15, 1983 son of George E. and Mollie Siler - Cpl U.S. Army WWI on double stone with Euna (Morris) Siler
Smith, Freddie (3-27) March 25, 1905 March 26, 1905 son of J.M. and Mellie (Hodges) Smith - on double stone with Mellie (Hodges) Smith
Smith, Mellie (Hodges) (3-28) February 28, 1905 March 31, 1905 wife of J.M. Smith daughter of Richard M. and Anna Lee “Annie” (Morris) Hodges
Street, Alvis Eugene March 24, 1923 November 25, 2003 son of James Eagle and Hazel M. (Meacham) Street - funeral home marker husband of Mary Avondale (Morris) Street
Thrasher, four unnamed children (2-15) no dates - children of George Andrew and Mary Susan (Morris) Thrasher marker was installed in 1957 by Euna Siler and James and Alein Morris
Thrasher, Helen B. April 23, 1905 only date - on double stone with Larry D. Thrasher
Thrasher, John B. December 24, 1904 February 7, 1905 Pvt. Co. C. Ark. Cav. C.S.A.
Thrasher, Larry D. April 27, 1905 only date  - on double stone with Helen B. Thrasher
Thrasher, Lena May 22, 1924 only date - on double stone with M.C. Thrasher
Thrasher, Mary (Morris)  (1-3) January 10, 1856 - December 30, 1919 daughter of Henry P. and Sarah Thomas (Howerton) Morris
Thrasher, M.C. February 16, 1923 July 6, 1999 son of James Madison and Lillie (Fuller) Thrasher - on double stone with Lena Thrasher
Unknown,  (1-1) no name or dates a stranger passing through the area   took sick while spending the night with the Morris family and died a day or so later believed to be the first burial in the cemetery - marked with a large, natural stone
Unknown,  (3-23) no name, no dates or other information marker was installed in 1957 by Euna Siler and James and Alein Morris
Wilson, Sarah “Sallie” (Thrasher) (2-17) died 1886 wife of George Wilson marker  was installed in 1957 by Euna Siler and James and Alein Morris
Wilson, three unnamed infants (2-16) 1886, 1884, 1892 no other dates children  of George and Sarah Wilson, Nancy Thrasher’s sister markers were installed in 1957 by Euna Siler and James and Alein Morris (Note: contrary to the third birthdate of 1892, the mother Sarah Wilson died in 1886.)

Denmark, once site of Confederate hideouts, now houses friendly and caring neighbors

By DEE WHITE

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, October 24, 1999

 

D

enmark is the name of a community located between Velvet Ridge and Pleasant Plains in what used to be Arkansas’ native hardwood forest. Gentle hills, farmland and thickets of trees still abide in the area, as well as the descendants of feisty folks such as can be found throughout the Stanley and Mason families.

J.E. Mason, who was born in Denmark and now lives in nearby Bald Knob, recalls some rowdy electioneering in the area, when local elections, especially those in nearby Velvet Ridge, were hotly contested between the two families. One such battle took place back in the late ‘50s and involved as least a half dozen Masons and Stanleys, in broad daylight.

“Some would probably scold me [for telling],” Mason says, grinning sheepishly. “The fight took place 100 feet from the dairy bar!” Mason has been Denmark’s constable for the past four years. He approaches his duties with an air of humor, mellowness and relaxation. These days, Denmark is a much quieter place.

Mason’s family owns two thirst-quenching artesian springs along the old highway to Denmark. People have been coming to get water from the oldest one, called Allred Spring, for at least 100 years. When the new highway was being built, Mason and others helped divert the path away from the spring and the historic Hays homestead, which stands nearby. Nowadays, the old road into Denmark is never crowded; tractor-trailer traffic rumbles by on nearby Arkansas 167.

“At one time, Denmark was an important stop along the way,” says Emmett Powers, a history buff who teaches at Searcy’s Riverview High School. Powers commutes to work from Denmark every day, as he and his wife have restored a home there that has been in her family since before the Civil War.

“Both Confederate and Union soldiers camped at the Ransom place,” Powers explains. (The Ransom family is known for producing generations of caring physicians.) “General McRae from White County went up into the hills during the Civil War,” adds Powers, “around 1863, McRae would make a route from Grande Glaise creek which connects to the White River at Old Glaise and would roam around up in that area, foraging and hassling the Union troops, and no one could catch him.”

Powers says that in the wagon train days, Denmark, a post stop, was the place where people came to buy groceries. He also described a huge cemetery, containing hundreds of graves, in Denmark’s forest.

Denmark formerly boasted of a hotel, cotton gin, post office and two or three grocery stores, says Leroy Throckmorton, owner of Throckmorton’s Feed and Seed, the last remaining business in town. He says that, as recently as the 1960s, there were stores in town.

“[Throckmorton’s Feed and Seed] has been here 25 years. I was born in Velvet Ridge and raised in Denmark,” Throckmorton says, adding that the town was once known to be a stagecoach stop. He went to school through seventh grade or so at the schoolhouse in Denmark, and then took an hour-and-a-half bus ride to and from Bald Knob for the rest of his schooling. Denmark’s schoolhouse was also turned into an impromptu theatre during the summer months, when traveling movie shows would come to town, constituting an instant holiday.

It was usually a serial show,” recalls Throckmorton. “We watched Gene Autry, Roy Rogers; they always had a cartoon. My whole family went and had popcorn.”

The old schoolhouse burned down; now, in its place on Arkansas 87, stands a Baptist church. Other small town schoolhouses have disappeared due to consolidation.

Geneva Hay, who still lives in the historic Hay home near Allred Spring, is 84 years old. Her picturesque, white frame home, complete with massive stone chimney, is reportedly the oldest home between Bald Knob and Batesville.

“My wife and daughter fix her food and take care of her every day so that she can stay in her home,” explains Throckmorton. “We talk to her every day.”

Denmark, whose surrounding forests contain sparkling springs, ancient graveyards and forgotten hiding places used by Confederate soldiers, is indeed a historic place. It is also a beautiful and friendly place.

“I always liked to sell,” says Throckmorton of his Feed and Seed store. “Everybody that comes in is our neighbor kind of like one big happy family.”