. *CEMETERY SIGN/BOY SCOUTS

Photo by Cindy Feinberg, 2005

Coffey Cemetery
Pangburn, Arkansas
List updated February 17,2006
Legal description: NE, SW, SW, Sect. 5, T9N, R7W
Earliest listed grave: 1852
Last listed grave: 1955
GPS Location: 611241-3922225
Arkansas Archeological Survey site #: 3WH0683
Once known as Walnut Hill, this cemetery was first listed by Cloie Presley of the White County Historical Society and her 12-year-old nephew, James Snowden, on New Year’s Day, 1963, and published in the White County Heritage later that year. Coffey Cemetery - which she described as “still being used but receives very little care” - is about three and a half miles east of Pangburn, about a quarter-mile off State Road 124.

Following Mrs. Presley’s death in 2004, an unpublished write up on this cemetery was found in her papers. She entitled it “FOREST HILL -(Now Coffey) CEMETERY” and based much of her Coffey Cemetery
Coffey Cemetery Graves

report on information that was given to her by Austin Yingling, “who lived almost all his life about ¼ mile from this cemetery on land settled by his grandfather about 1845.” She stated that in the late summer of 1978 J.W. Snowden asked to meet him and Austin Yingling at the Coffey Cemetery to try to find the grave of his grandfather, Elisha Snowden. “This was called Forest Hill Cemetery,” Mrs. Presley’s report stated, “and had an arch over the entrance with the name. The oldest graves were nos. 112, 113 and 114 and he never knew anyone who had any idea who they were. They were covered with rocks but people have taken rocks from these graves for head and foot markers for later graves until only an outline pen is left. In land transactions someone objected to allowing the land for the cemetery. Albert Stahle, C.E. Doyle and Austin Yingling paid $25 for the land for the cemetery. He wondered if the deed was ever recorded. There was nothing where he remembered Elisha Snowden was buried but he said it was at the foot of the grave of Elijah Richardson and he had marked a rock E.R. when Richardson was buried. He used a screwdriver to cut the initials in a rock. From this list and the chart we located this marked stone back in the un cleaned area and the place he had picked for Elisha Snowden was at the foot of it. There are also two other graves north of Elisah Snowden, his daughter -(?) Page an Lee Page. Austin did not think Charlie Harris was the oldest grave there. He said Mrs. Harris was related to the Coffeys and when she died he was the only person that came to dig the grave and he dug the entire grave alone. Note he carved an “H” and is the only marker she has ever had.”

Mrs. Presley attached a rough drawing to her report, on which she numbered the graves. The numbers corresponded to numbers beside the names on her list. The map was very dim but strengthened by the White County Historical Society in 2005 and added to the end of this cemetery listing. Thanks to information provided by Austin Yingling, the map confirmed for the first time in many years the grave sites of William Doyle and his three wives, the Yingling sisters. He also identified the graves of the son of James Yingling, son of Mack Castleberry, Virgil Williams, Mildred Williams, Maxilee Williams, Della Doyle Williams and infant of Della Doyle Williams. The Historical Society has added the grave number /(in parenthesis) beside each name where it is known. The graves on the map that did not have tombstones were marked with rocks.

Note the additional article by Mrs. Presley, written 30 years later, which appears at the end of this list. The Wise family members were added to this list in June 2000 by the Historical Society after receiving documentation from descendents Wanda Wise Thompson and Naomi Townsend of Pangburn.

The cemetery was overgrown and in poor shape in December 2004 when it was visited by Leroy Blair, chairman of the White County Historical Society’s cemetery committee. He had first come to the site August 31, 2000. He found 15 graves that were not listed in the Presley report and counted 70 unmarked graves. He reported at that time, “Very recently, people have started cleaning up the cemetery. But it still needs more work.”

The cemetery and nearby Coffey Family Cemetery were cleaned by Little Rock Boy Scout Troop 227 in October 2005. The project was planned and directed by Neil Feinberg, a 227 member, as part of is application to become an eagle Scout (See photo above.) Also as this time, a headstone containing the names of William Doyle and his three wives was placed in the cemetery. The stone was paid from donations made by descendents of William Doyle.

Blair provided these directions: “To get to this cemetery from Pangburn, go about 3.5 miles east on Highway 124 to Ramsey Access Road to the Little Red River. Turn left and go about a quarter-mile, then turn left on a dirt road leading up the hill. The cemetery is at the end of this road.” Blair was unable to find 20 graves that were listed in the Presley report: Anna, B.P., Elaine Doyle, Elizabeth Doyle, Katherine Doyle, E.R., H., Charley Harris, J.C.K., K. and M.K., Leona P., Nellie H., P., Sherrod, Stahley daughter, W., W.E.D., W.W.D., Mrs. A.M. Williams, and Chester Yingling. According to the Presley report, most of these had been marked with carved rocks.
If you have corrections or additions to this list or other information on Coffey Cemetery, please contact the White County Historical Society, P.O. Box 537, Searcy, AR 72145.

Contributed on 3/5/20 by hawkinsdonna48
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Record #: 1302315

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