Amerson Cemetery, Montgomery County, Arkansas

Montgomery Co. ARGenWeb Project

The Amerson Cemetery three miles east of Pencil Bluff on the north side of Hwy 270 on a hill is a family cemetery on private property as the land has not been deeded to the county.  Fred Standridge enthusiastically maintains the cemetery area adjacent to his house.  A chain link fence encloses approximately 116 graves with only 40% marked with headstones, the rest marked with field stones or unmarked.  The grass is kept mowed, broken headstones have been cemented back in place and Fred welcomes additional information on who is buried here.  Listing complied March 1999 during a visit to the cemetery.

Amerson, Angeline [Bybee] d. Sep 17, 1885 aged 59 years 1 month 13 days

Emerson, E.W. D. Nov 8 1872 age 47 y 7 m 5 d

Amerson, Martha A. 1869-1899

Amerson, Temperance 1895-1916

Amerson, Thomas J. 1853-1914

Amerson, Walter July 22 1895 - Jan 11 1929 He was a devoted husband and father

Andrews Sherdan H.  1896-April 1916

Baker, Anna Jan. 1 1910 - Apr. 26 1981

Baker, Hulet P. Mar. 22 1919-Oct. 7 1994  PFC U.S. Army W.W.II

               Baker
Pearl                         FrankPhoto credit: Olwyn Whitehouse 1998
Sept. 28 1906        Sept 15 1893
July 21, 1968        Nov. 16 1976

            Baker
Parents of James Bryan
Grandparents of Joseph Micheal & Alex Lee
James R.                          F. Bernice
July 6 1931                  Oct 23, 1929
May 13 1998
              Jan 27 1967    

                Baker
Gracie T.                 Lee B.
1907-1957            1902- 1 973
Gary Dean Baker Mar. 4 1945- June 8 1964

            Baker
Millie 1870- 1957
J.E.J.  1869 -1938

        Baker
Mother                                                             Father
Alice Hester wife of W.W. Baker        William W.
Feb 8 1873 - Jan 1 1942                         Jan. 30 1872 - Dec 27, 1943

Baker
Infant of Mr. and Mrs Otto
Nov 10 - Dec 13
        1936

Barber, Lee Dec. 24 1887 - Nov 12 1877 (incorrectly etched on headstone, should read 1787)

Blackburn, Leon 1849-1966

            Blackburn
Edna                     Dave
Dec. 25 1910    Feb. 19 1899
                            June 14, 1985

Breit, Jewel Ferguson 1925-1966

Chumney, Ida Baker Oct.11 1910 - Mar. 22 1961

Fair, Manelor wife of Jas. A. Fair  Mar. 17 1865 - Mar 9 1893

Ferguson, Curtis    1911-1929
Ferguson, Hazel    1927-1929
Ferguson, Irene     1917-1918
Ferguson, Montie  1915-1916
Ferguson, Ruby     1922-1929

                Ferguson
Roleigh F.            Mattie J.
1882-1948       1889-1970

Ferguson, Harvey 1908-1956

Jackson, Daisy Louise   -Oct. 8 1945

Jackson, Hazel B. May 10, 1922 May 29 1998  In God's care. [daughter of  Walter Amerson]

Jackson E. Leon May Sept 22 1938 -Dec. 8 1994 I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me. Philippians 4.13

            Jackson
Ethel                         Robert L.
Apr. 20 1904        Sept. 26 1910
Aug. 28 1992        May 9 1983
Her light shines on    He was someone special

Johnson, Laura R. daughter Geo.W.D. and Sarah E. Johnson. Died July 24, 1875     Age 11 months and 22 days

McCullar, Sarah 1849-1919    Mother of James E.J. and William W. Baker

Miller, Charles 1865 -1940

Taylor. Inf. daughter of Mr.& Mrs. P.L.. Taylor 1919-1919

Taylor, Haig - son of Mr. & Mrs. P.L. Taylor 1918-1919

History: John Cook was given a land grant for his service in the 1812 war. He gave the land to his son-in-law James BYBEE. The next owner was Elijah Amerson b. 1824 and his is the oldest marked grave,1872. Elijah and Angeline Bybee (1825-1885) were married April 15, 1847 By census they had the following children : GeorgeWashington, Sarah Jane,  Isabella, Thomas J., Susan Angeline, Mary Elizabeth, Nancy, and Manelor. 
George W. Amerson married Elizabeth Barker in 1865.  Their child Robert who was the father of Mary E. Amerson Tabor, mother of Dale Tabor. George later married Minerva McConnell.  
Susan Angeline Amerson died and John F. McCullar married her widow sister Sarah A. Baker.
Sarah Jane married Hulet M. Baker in 1868. He was killed by bushwhackers. Sarah and John are buried here at Amerson.
Isabell Amerson married Henry C. Brewer, Jr. 1873 buried at Brewer Cemetery.
Thomas Jefferson Amerson
Mary Elizabeth Amerson married B.F. McCullar in 1875.
Nancy D. Amerson married William B. Booker in 1878.
Manelar Amerson (1868-1893) married James A. Fair in 1885. Temperance was a twin, son of Thomas and a brother to Walter. Ferguson married a Baker.  Joseph SHIRLEY Dec 14, 1841-Mar. 19 1885 is buried here, not related but married a lot of the children.  The cemetery is still in use. Information courtesy of Fred Standridge.  Mauldin workers are buried to the left in unmarked graves.  The Johnsons were not related but lived across the river near the Owens.

WILLHITE: John Calvin Willhite died 27 Aug 1871 is buried at Amerson in an unmarked grave.   John Calvin was born 1822 in Morgan County, Alabama, married Nancy FRYAR in 1842 at Tippah Co., Mississippi, daughter of Garrett and Elizabeth Goodner Fryar.  They came to Montgomery Co. by wagon train in 1849 with family including his brother Julius A. Wilhite who was married to "Polly", Nancy's sister.  John Calvin owned a grist mill on the Ouatchita River where Camp Ozark is now located.

Mena Star 1 January 04
Fred Standridge

Fred Standridge, age 76, of Pencil Bluff, Ark., passed away Friday, Dec. 26, 2003 at his home. He was born April 24, 1927 in Mt Ida, Ark. He was the son of the late Lester Standridge and the late Elvia Norman Standridge. He was united in marriage to Lois Amerson on May 22, 1954 in Mt. Ida. He lived in Montgomery County all of his life, served in the United States Navy, taught school for 28 years, was postmaster for 31 years, was very active in numerous community service organizations, and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Mt Ida
    Survivors include his wife, Lois Standridge of Pencil Bluff, Ark., two sons, Walter Standridge of Denver, Colo., Rodney and wife Jat Dee Standridge of Norman Ark. two daughters, Stephanie Standridge and Melanie Standridge, both of Mt Ida, Ark; one brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Lestel Standridge of Mt Ida, Ark., two sisters and brothers-in-law, Myrtle Bradshaw of Wayne, Ark., Jocelyn and James Ford of Russellville, Ark, Cecil Stroupe of Mt Ida; four grand children, Christopher Standridge, Mathew Standridge, Russell Ellis and John Martin Ellis.
    He was preceded in death by his parents Lester and Elvia Standridge, two sisters Norma Jean Standridge and Maurita Stroupe.
    Funeral services were at 10 am, Tuesday, Dec. 30 in the First Baptist Church in Mt Ida with Bro. Eddie McCord and Bro. Bruce Short officiating. Interment was in the Amerson Cemetery under the direction of Hall Funeral Service of Mena. 
    Pallbearers were Bill Ray, Bob Barrett, Frank Scott, Jimmy Robins, John Allen Standridge, Sam Amerson and Steve Kimmery. 
    In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Gideons International, Hospice, the Community Council Service of Hot Springs, or the Heritage House Museum at Mt Ida.

Fred Standridge Former principal of the Mt Ida School and retired postmaster from Pencil Bluff 1986-1992. He was heading the Family History area of the Heritage House Museum. Fred's fascination for family history was inspired by the life of one of his four grandmothers, Sarah Margaret Ann (Bates) Standridge. (1814-1918). Her 96 grandchildren called her "Granny Standridge". He lived in the house that overlooks the Amerson Cemetery and he maintained that cemetery.