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Submitted: 2/29/12 • Approved: 2/29/12 • Last Updated: 7/24/12 • R657505-G0-S3
To reach The Dove Cemetery, travel about one mile on Highway 73 west of Columbus to Silver Road. Turn north on Silver Road and the cemetery is about a quarter mile from Highway 73. It is east of Silver Road in some woods. The property is owned by Dale Laferty whose house is just past the cemetery.
The Godfrey Dove family left Mississippi in the mid-1870s on their way to Texas. They came through Arkansas and when they reached Columbus, they were informed that the Red River was at flood stage. While waiting for Red River to recede to be safe to cross, their son Hugh met, fell in love and married Mary Elizabeth Reeder.
The Dove's only daughter, Mary Elizabeth, met, fell in love and married Samuel Franklin McJunkins. The Dove family then bought land and settled west of Columbus. Several years later, after the death of his wife, Hugh Dove and children moved to Texas.
Only two gravestones can be found at the Dove Cemetery. Those gravestones obviously belong to a black people which were buried much later than the Dove's that are known to be buried there.
From information by Dr. Tom Walker, The Hempstead County, Arkansas Cemeteries, Book 5 list the following names and dates.
DOVE, Godfrey
1815 - between 1880 and 1890
born in North Carolina
DOVE, Epsy Wilson
1820 - 1892/3
born in North Carolina
DOVE, Nannie
1884 - 1886
daughter of Hugh and Mary E
DOVE, Bertie and Bertie
born and died 1886
twin daughters of Hugh and Mary E
DOVE, Daughter
born and died 1890
daughter of Hugh and Mary E
Contributed on 2/29/12 by mcjunkins
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Record #: 657505