Stephenson, Arkansas Family Cemetery, near Revel, Arkansas
(on the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge)

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Scroll down for the tombstones

GPS locator: N 35.20487 W 91.27733

This small family cemetery was located on the old Garrett farm near the Revel Community in Arkansas. Samuel Charles Stephenson married Margaret Carricker Garrett after her first husband, James Louis Garriett, died. It is now referred to as the Stephenson Cemetery in the Woodruff County Historical Society cemetery books. The two tombstones are labeled on both sides, indicating that they were buried head to head with one tombstone for both.

In the 1950s the farmer owner of the land planted bamboo on the farm at the cemetery location. This was told to me by Emmet Garner, a local farmer who use to plow the land as a young man. In the summer of 2004 when I found this cemetery it was over grown in bamboo covering approximately 3/4 of a football field. This bamboo was removed in June of 2007 by the Wildlife Refuge as being non-native vegetation to the area. The tombstones were slightly damaged in this bamboo removal process and at least one of the stones was moved somewhat. The tombstones were at least 15 feet apart when I originally found them, but they are still in the approximate area. If you are interested you may click here: How I found the cemetery. | Partial Woodruff County Map |

My father, and also Milton Yarbrough, told me there are more people burried in this cemetery than represented by the tombstones. From what they told me and my own research I believe the following people are burried here:

Nathan Stephenson (brother) 1844/45 - 1871 Samual Charles Stephenson (brother) 1844- 1898
Benjamin Thomas Stephenson (Civil War Vet) (brother) 1843 - 1917
Margaret Lucinda Carricker Garrett Stephenson (wife)1842 - 1899
Charles A. Garrett (stepson) 1869 - 1883
Goldie Edna Hargis (niece) 1898 - 1899
Henry Geraldine Hargis (niece)1906 - 1908
Maggie Lou Stephenson (grand-daughter & my Dad's half sister) 1903-1904
Benjamin Thomas Stephenson (grandson & my Dad's brother) 1907 - 1913
Sally Ann Stephenson (daughter) Dec 10, 1872
Fannie Lien Ada Stephenson (daughter) Sept 24, 1874
Inglish Henry Stephenson March (son) March 18, 1883
Elisha Vick (2nd cousin) died Oct 1, 1878
One former slave that came from North Carolina with the three brothers

The following pictures were taken on a return visit on October 21, 2019, my birthday, age 74. The bamboo has grown back and the graves are difficult to find. I had to use the GPS coordinates to locate the graves. inside the bamboo.

This is the road leaving the cemetery. The cemetery is located on the left about 200 yards into the trees. The road is facing as you are leaving the cemetery location.	Jenk Stephenson at the tombstone of the Hargis children. Notice the bamboo has grown back.	The orginal two tombstones hiding in the bamboo
The tombstone of my great grandparents and the small one I added in 2010	Notice the footstones at the base of the tombstone--one is the daughter of my grandfather, MLS, and the other is SCS- Maggie Lou Stephenon and Samuel Charles Stephenson	Samuel Charles Stephenson Jenk Stephenson's great Grandfather According to census records he was born in 1848
Margaret Lucinda Cariker Garrett Stephenson Jenk Stephenson's great grandmother	The tombstone I added for the names of those with no tombstones. Frontside	The backside of the tombstone that I added with the names.
1915 map hanging in the Augusta, Arkansas courthouse	SW Stephenson is my grandfather's land VW Stephenson is the orginal Garret land where the cemetery is located	End of the trees as you enter the bamboo area where the cemetery is located

These pictures were taken in May 2010

Unloading the Dolly	Unloading the cart and base.	We are hauling the tombstone base to the site.
Taking a rest from pulling the base to the site.	Unloading the base.	The base at it's site location.
Cleaning the base by rubbing dirt on it. It actually worked very well.	Still cleaning with dirt.	More cleaning with dirt.
We are returning with an empty cart to get the tombstone.	Tombstone loaded onto the Dolly and ready for the pull to the site.	A closer view.
The tombstone is all set.	The back side of the tombstone with the names of people buried here in the cemetery with no other recognition.	At long last the project is finished.
Just want to make sure I have enough pictures.	Names on the back.	Not sure when I'll be returning so wanted to make sure I had enough pictures.
Not sure when I'll be returning so wanted to make sure I had enough pictures.	Not sure when I'll be returning so wanted to make sure I had enough pictures.	Not sure when I'll be returning so wanted to make sure I had enough pictures.
Not sure when I'll be returning so wanted to make sure I had enough pictures.	Not sure when I'll be returning so wanted to make sure I had enough pictures.	Not sure when I'll be returning so wanted to make sure I had enough pictures.
Examining the older Tombstones for repairs.	Mixing the compound.	Setting the second base.
Adjusting it's position.	Moving the top part back.	Positioning the top stone.
Making sure it's all straight. This is the tombstone of Samuel Charles Stephenson and Margarett Stephenson.	This picutre is out of order.	Moving the smaller tombstone.
Moving the smaller tombstone.	Positioning the bases together.	Are we finished yet?
Nearing the end.	Maybe we are resting.	The two originals.
And now there are three.	Yes, I know it's leaning. We fixed it before we left.	Just checking.
Making sure the seal is tight.	The seal around.	The seal is not always easy to work with.
Yes, I know it's leaning. We fixed it before we left.	Aren't cell phones wonderful. You just can't hide.	All the clearning that you see, used to be the bamboo thicket.
Do we have enough pictures yet?	Taken from a different angle.	Thanks, to my brother, David Stephenson for taking most of the pictures.
Just in case the first one didn't work.	David Stephenson	Jenk Stephenson, mission accomplished.
Jenk Stephenson	The other direction.	A duplicate.
I don't think we took any pictures after we straightened the leaning tombstone.	One last look before we leave.	As we walk away.
		David found a second foot stone with the initials of MLS. There are no tombstones in the area with a name of those initials. However, my grandfather's first child was Maggie Lou Stephenson, so I assume this is her footstone. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of it.
The last view.	A foot stone with the initials SCS. Samuel Charles Stephenson Our great grandfather	This was a 3-year project that should not have taken that long, but circumstances dictated the time frame.

These following three pictures were taken in November 2009

Jerry Stephenson with his great-grandfather's tombstone (Samuel Charles Stephenson)	Jenk Stephenson with his great-grandfather's tombstone (Samuel Charles Stephenson)	Jerry & his truck parked on the dirt road ready for the hike to the cemetery.
Samuel Charles Stephenson November 2009	You can easily read the inscription on the tombstone Samuel Charles Stephenson November 2009	Margaret Cariker Garrett Stephenson Our great grandmother November 2009

All the pictures below were taken in October 2007