Forrest Cemetery, Carter County, Kentucky

Submitted by: Joel Carter

The following are Joel's notes on the Forrest Cemetery photos at the above link


The photo of Malissa Haney's stone was not taken by me.  I can't remember the lady's name now who did take it.  
The leaves were extremely heavy and I didn't remember to look for Malissa Haney's stone.  There also will be two pics of stones 
(Malissa Forrest & Robert H. Forrest) that were taken by my uncle, Carl Harr, ca 1990.  
 
It's little wonder that I didn't find Malissa Haney's stone this time.  It's a flat stone set even with the ground surface. 
The leaves are thick up there.  For this same reason, I probably didn't find all of the depressions that would indicate unmarked graves.
 


The following notes I took last summer at the cemetery:
 
GPS coordinates for parking at Forrest home place:  38.23.088 N & 83.02.869 W
GPS coordinates for the turn to the left off the logging trail:  38.22.925 N & 83.02.743 W
GPS coordinates for Forrest Cemetery itself:  38.22.970 N & 83.02.710 W
 
 The cemetery is approached from what would probably be considered the rear of it.  
 Bear this in mind with the following descriptions, and later, photos.
 

Beginning rear-most row, left to right. 
 
 
1)  There's a suspicious depression, no marker.  May or may not be a grave.
 
2)  Nay Forrest headstone, side facing you:
 
Nayanthan (sic) Forrest
born Sept 17, 1878
died Feb 22, 1908
 
"May all that is 
purest and best in 
him I loved 
increase and shine 
in the world above"
 
Headstone, side away from you, is blank.  There is a footstone:  "N. F."
 
 
3)  Malissa Forrest headstone, side facing you:
 
"Asleep in Jesus"
 
Malissa wife of Robert
H. Forrest
 
Feb 23, 1850
Apr 3, 1920
 
Forrest
 
Side away from you:
 
"Rest Mother rest
in quiet sleep
while friends in 
sorrow over thee
weep"
 
Malissa Forrest has a footstone:  "M. F."
 
 
 4)  Robert Forrest:  Robert's stone has broken off just above the socket.  It has been placed in the ground behind the socket.  
     The stone on the side facing you is blank.  It appears to have been intended this way.  On the side away from you:
 
Robert H. Forrest
born Oct 3, 1847
died Mar 5, 1901
 
"We miss thee from
thy place Dear
Father
We miss thee from
thy place  A shadow
o'er our life is cast
We miss the sunshine
and thy face"
 
Robert  has a footstone:  R. H. F.
 
 
 5)  The inscription on Andree Huff's stone faces away from you:
 
Andree
dau of
CJ(?) & EN(?)
Huff
 
Born May 29, 1903
Died June 20, 1903
 
"Our Darling"
 
Unclear whether there was anything written below the ground line.
 
 
 6)  There is a very suspicious depression at the far right.  I would expect that this is indeed an unmarked grave.
 
 
 Second row, from left:
 
 
 7)  Another depression with no marker. 

 

 8)  Mary & Sam Forrest share the same flat headstone:
 
Forrest
 
Mary
1864  1940
 
Sam
1854  1920
 
I noticed no footstones.
 
 
 
9)  A field stone lying flat.  In the photo, Cole is indicating it.  Probably not a marker though.
 
 
 
10)  The inscription on Fred Gipson's stone also faces away from you.
 
Fred Gipson
Born Dec 17, 1900
Died Dec 24, 1900
 
"In heaven there
is one angel more"
 
I saw no footstone for Fred.
 
 
 
11)  Depression.  Questionable whether it's a grave. 

 
 
12)  Depression.  Questionable whether it's a grave. 

 
 
13)  Eva Forrest's stone.  Inscription faces away from you.  This stone had been broken.  
 
Eva
 
Wife of Ransey (sic)
Forrest
 
Aug 2, 1889
Jan 24, 1919
 
"We will meet again"
 
Eva has a footstone.  Didn't notice an inscription.
 
 
 
Third row, R to L:

It looks as if a narrow terrace has been cut in order to make more graves on the lower side (side farthest away from you).  
I'll include a photo or two that might better illustrate this.  
 
 
14)  Malissa D. Haney's stone lies flat on the bottom of the above--mentioned terrace.  As I said above, today's trip I didn't find it 
     but it was undoubtedly covered with leaves.
 
Malissa D. Haney
 
May 26, 1907
Oct 25, 1944
 
 
14)  There's a big space between Malissa Haney's stone and that of Infant Prater.  Prater's stone also lies on the bottom of the terrace.
 
 
Infant son of
Frank & Ezel(?)
Prater
 
Born & died July 9, 1905
 
"Sleep on(?) sweet(?)
babe and take
thy rest.  God call-
ed thee home.  He
thought it best.
 
 
These are all the graves that are marked.  There are no other obvious depressions. 
 
Regarding the name "Nay" Forrest:  My family always referred to him by this name although I understand his name was "Nathanial."  
His stone apparently is incorrect.  On her stone, Eva's husband is called "Ransie."  This, I understand, is a nickname and misspelled at that.  
I believe it was "Rancie."  I don't really know what his full given name is/was.  He is buried in the Atkins Cemetery on Everman Creek.  
Rancie was found hanged in a barn on Everman Creek.  Inquest states he committed suicide.
  

Malissa (James) Forrest and Robert H. Forrest are the parents of Sadie Forrest Roberts. These photos were taken about 1991. I have spent much time trying to locate the cemetery and haven't been able to do so. We know that it's somewhere on the old Forrest Place on Rockhouse Road in Carter County. We know there are other Forrest kinfolk there as well.


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