Bells in the Stringer Cemetery

In what seemed like just a field, was the very small Stringer Cemetery in Wayne County, Kentucky. It had not been mowed in a very long time when we were there in July of 1996. Martha Bell's parents, John Silas and Rutha (Simpson) Bell are resting there.

Rutha Bell's inscription is very hard to make out in this photo. It was hard enough in person. I had my video camera when we were there and on the video I am saying that "I think that says Ru something a Bell April something April 1907". Rutha died April 11, 1907. I wonder what it looks like now. 

Also on the video I show the grave for Elizabeth Stringer, a daughter of John Silas and Rutha. I remember seeing a grave for Emily Bell with no dates which could be another daughter, but I don't have that on video. Ursula Reynolds, another daughter, is buried there and likely a daughter named Sophronia Bell, but I didn't see graves for either of them. John Silas and Rutha had two sons - Ira Garner Bell, buried in the Simpson Cemetery, also in Wayne County and Elisha Bell, who is buried in Rusk, Texas in the State Hospital (Asylum) Cemetery.

Ruth was one of 12 children born to Reuben Simpson & Martha Merritt. I don't know the location of her parents graves, but they would also be in Wayne County.

John Silas Bell's grave inscription was also barely legible. He died in 1878, It was incredible to me that I could find it at all. You can just barely see that the inscription "John S Bell". 

I remember reading somewhere that marked graves were moved to higher ground before the Wolf Creek Dam was built on the Cumberland River in 1952. John's father David Bell died in 1818. His grave marker, if there ever was one, was likely not found and no record of one exists. 

On this trip to Wayne County, I also visited John Silas' mother's grave which I'll post next.