Cemetery
Updated:  Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at 05:52 PM

2003 Directory
Click here to view or download the 2003 Cemetery Directory in PDF Format

Mapping Project
 

• The audit by Jeff Lamb of the South Section of the cemetery has been completed, and work to complete the North Section is nearly complete.   

Spread Sheet Report:
 
March 3, 2003 -- Spreadsheet Report in PDF Format:   
Alphabetical listing prepared by Colin Rule, Cemetery Director. 
This report contains a cross reference of old lot numbers <> tentative new lot numbers. 

Data Base Reports:
 

The third, preliminary, temporary, partial listing report has been re-posted.

July 26, 2001 Listings: 

Alphabetical

By Location

You might like to add your email address to the Netmind box below to receive a notice whenever this page changes so you can be kept up to date as the work progress. 

(Note: We'll be removing old records from the server, so link to this page, not the data files).
 

Contact Information:

Address
Spence Chapel United Methodist Church
1003 Spence Chapel Road
Mayfield, Kentucky  42066

Phones
Church Office:  270-247-7471
Pastor, Bill Lawson:  270-251-2891 or 270-519-6692 (Cell Phone)
 

Other
Fax:  603-250-3681
Email:  spence@livingweb.com

March 3, 2001 

The policy manual was updated with several new policies added. 

January 6, 2001

A policy manual was created, with several policies added.  

Charge Conference elected a Cemetery Executive Committee to take effect on January 1, 2002.  The Director position is elected for a three-year term, and three persons are elected for staggered three-year terms.  Additional persons include the Pastor, Lay Leader, Trustees Chairperson, Church Council Chairperson, Church Council Secretary, Finance Chairperson, Treasurer, and Finance Secretary.

July 25, 2001

The Spence Chapel Cemetery Steering Committee met to review the current status of the updating project and to make recommendations to the Church Council, which will be meeting August 5.  The following recommendations were made to the Council:

1. The Transition Period should continue through the end of 2001
2. The Nominating Committe should create a Cemetery Executive Committee, create positions on the committee, and nominate members to be elected by the Church Conference in the Fall.
3. Only reciepts that are specifically designated for the Perpetual Endowment Fund should be placed in that fund;  all other contributions should be placed in the Cemetery Operating Fund for maintenance expenses.

1. The low rate of interest being paid on endowments, and the need to review the fund arrangements
2. Progress of Jeff Lamb in measuring and charting (South section is done and part of North section)
3. Repairs made to the driveway and fence row clearing by Colin Rule
4. Spraying of fence row and driveway by Coleman Mathis
5. Plans for distribution of deeds to plots and contacting families
6. Need for collecting contact information and documentation from families
7. limiting expansion of the cemetery to the east and north should land become available, and to the south on the other side of the parway should land become available, and not to the west so that the rest of the land around the church will not become available for cemetery expansion as it may be needed in the future for growth of the church.
8. Repairs to the tombstones
9. Navigational fixtures
10. Tombstones for unmarked graves
11. Other legal and financial matters

The Spence Chapel Church Council created at Transition Period following the death of director Bob Merryman.  During this period, the records and procedures are being updated and a new administrative structure is being organized.   A land survey has been conducted by  Joe Monroe of Kentucky-Tennessee Clay Co.  An audit of graves is being conducted by Jeff Lamb of Mayfield City Cemeteries.  Colin Rule is serving as Transitional Maintenance Supervisor, and the Pastor is serving as Transitional Director.  The cemetery continues to operate under the immediate direction of the Spence Chapel Board of Trustees, under the authority of the Spence Chapel United Methodist Church Council. 

The following statement was adopted on May 6, 2001 as part of the Transition Period Resolution:
 

The results of the survey will be posted here, at which time we will also begin developing genealogical studies for each of the families (please see Spence Chapel Genealogy).  The remains of approximately 600 persons are interred in the Spence Chapel Cemetery.  Most graves are well marked, however there are some unmarked graves whose contents are being researched. 

Prior to ca. 1945, the cemetery had been neglected and had grown up with trees and bushes into a dense thicket.  Families in the church decided to clean the cemetery with mules, which Moses Riley reports was a most tedious undertaking.  Today, the cemetery is kept regularly groomed and is a beautiful site along the Purchase Parkway.  A gravel drive surrounds the cemetery, which is adjacent to the church. 

The church has taken responsibility for the maintenance of the cemetery, and has developed a cemetery fund with a perpetual endowment trust fund to isolate contributions given for this purpose.  All contributions to the Cemetery Fund are placed in an operating account.  $1,000 is transferred to the endowment whenever the balance of the operating account exceeds $3,000.  The trust fund balance is currently about $4,000, and the operating fund balance is about $1500.
 

Click Here to make donations to the cemetery fund online: