The Reed-Odom Burial Site in Blackville, SC in 2012

       The Reed - Odom Family Burial Site in Blackville, SC

This site has been visited by many others over the decades but when it was found by my wife Teresa and I in a  state of overgrowth something needed to be done. The site was overgrown with a thorny vine growth so thick you couldn't close the gate. We could not rest until we showed respect to my ancestors by cleaning this area up. My 2nd. Great Grandfather, My 3rd. Great Grandmother, two 2nd. Great Aunts, a 2nd. Great Uncle as well as two cousins all reside here forever and they deserved better.

We were very fortunate that, Herman Still, the land owner that surrounds the cemetery is willing to allow us to clean the site and will provide for disposal  of the cleanup. The following photos chronicle the process started in March 2012.

Many thanks to my wife Teresa for her tireless efforts. Her photographic skills did not lend to her efforts being in the photos of the cleanup. Rest assured she was on her hands and knees many hours and suffered as many cuts and pricks from the thorns as I did. Many thanks also to Marilyn Reed Thomson, her husband David and their son Ian for their efforts.

The burial site as we found it March 12, 2012

The head stone of John Wiley Reed as found March 12, 2012

The broken head stone of James Henry Reed as found March 12, 2012

Left to right are Marilyn Reed Thomson, my wife Teresa and myself Tom Reed March12, 2012

The site in mid April when we started in earnest to clean it up.

After the thorns and vines removed we could close the gate.

My 3rd. Great Grandmother, Julia Odem Reed's head stone is located center front of the site.

My 2nd. Great Grandfather John Wiley Reed head stone beside his mother Julia Odom Reed

The broken head stone center is James Henry Reed flanked on the right 

by his sister Ellen Reed Birt Aldrich with her two sons Christopher and Cornelius to the rear.

In the rear and to the left are located Martha Reed Kemp and her husband (out of sight here) Henry Kemp is next to her in the corner.

Tom gets started on phase two of ground clearing. A mattox and a lot of energy to clear the over infestation of roots from the thorn bushes. Dig them out, 4 inches at a time! Not seen in the following photos is the extreme effort of cutting thorn vines with limb cutters and hauling the cutting out of the sight by Teresa. 

Clearing out around Henry Kemp's head stone that has been broken at sometime in the past. It needs to be restored before it breaks even more beyond repair.

Henry Kemp's head stone base needed to be leveled before we could re-attach the top part. 

Cleaning the top part of the head stone in preparation for reassembly. 










Epoxy glue should hold as long as the stone stays together. Once the duct tape is removed and the final bit of crack is filled with cement colored caulk it will look much better. 100 year old head stones were typically a softer stone. These head stones appear to be expertly and professionally carved. Some head stones of this and earlier time frames were sometime hand carved by family members of local workers with less skills.

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Next task is the head stone for James Henry Reed. His stone was also broken cleanly, most likely as a result of a flaw in the stone with water freezing in if, expanding and causing the fracture.

The head stone was never cemented into the base. I had to clean the base before I could mix up  cement to attach the lower half of the head stone to the base securely.

Marilyn and son Ian work toward getting the base for her 2nd. Great Grandfather Henry James Reed's head stone. Once the base gets cemented in place, the top part can be epoxied in place.

While the bottom half cement sets Ian and I install a Confederate Cross to recognize James Henry Reed's service during the War Between the States. 









Marilyn Reed Thomson admires James Henry Reed's repaired head stone and marker honoring his war service. A little cement color caulk in the slight crack remaining, a good washing of the dirt from the lower half and the stone will look great.

Ian and I attach a sign on the front fence next to the gate.



 


















The layout of the graves is as below.

Julia Odom Reed Biography

James Henry Reed Biography

Ellen Reed Birt Aldrich Biography

Cornelius Birt Biography

Christopher Birt Biography

Martha Reed Kemp Biography

  Henry Kemp Biography

Cleaning and maintaining the family burial site on February 1, 2015


Just some photos taken when my wife Teresa and I went to Blackville to check on and maintain the family burial site on Gardenia Road. We found all was well there and very little was needed in cleaning. We sprayed weed control poision to keep the weeds and thorns from re-appearing there as they had been in the past.

Tom

Arriving at the cemetery on February 1, 2015.

 Teresa getting right in to cleaning.

Lieutenant John Reed resting here.

Grandmother Julia Reed at Rest next to Private James Reed, her son.

 

Private James Reed at rest.

Tom spraying weed control poison to prevent re-occurrence of thorns and weeds.

Overview of the cemetery when we left on February 1, 2015.