What does the book contain?
The book is a 2-volume, hard bound set that contains the following information:
- A list of the 403 cemeteries the author found in Sullivan County, Tennessee
- GPS coordinates of the cemetery location (or main entrance of larger cemeteries)
- A descriptive location of each cemetery
- Large scale, detailed maps showing the cemetery location
- Names, dates, familial relationships, and military service as found on each tombstone
- Additional names and information from other reliable sources
- A complete surname index
What are your sources of information?
The primary source of information is the author's own cataloging of the cemeteries of Sullivan County, Tennessee. All stones have been checked at least once. For most larger cemeteries, the inscriptions have been reviewed multiple times in order to present a very accurate copy of the information on the stones.
The author copied exactly what the stone carver placed on the stone even when this information may appear to be misleading or outright wrong. For example, in the Immanuel Church Cemetery, the name "Eelen" appears on a stone. The researcher can easily guess that the name was most likely Ellen, but the book lists the name as found on the stone.
Researchers are encouraged to check the accuracy of the book by visiting the cemeteries of interest. Remember that broken, disintegrating, or otherwise damaged stones are subject to some interpretation. Errors verified by the author will be presented on the Errata page on this site.
Some other sources of information included in the book are:
- First hand accounts from persons who know an individual is buried in a cemetery without any permanent marker. These names are noted under the heading of By Tradition.
- The Tennessee Valley Authority surveyed cemeteries that might be affected by the dam projects. The records found at the TVA archives (which are available for public inspection) were used as primary sources in the book.
- For a few cemeteries, a previous census listed names for which the author could not find a tombstone. The assumption is that the tombstone is not legible at the present time. These names are listed under a heading denoting the source.
Why don't you arrange your cemeteries in alphabetical order?
The list of cemetery names at the beginning of the book is in alphabetical order to assist the researcher who is familiar with the common names of the cemeteries in Sullivan County.
The geographic arrangement of the cemeteries within the book itself provides a tremendous amount of information to the researcher who may no longer reside in Sullivan County. She may only know approximately where her ancestors lived or owned property. She may only have copies of deeds or information from a family bible with place names or other geographic landmarks. With only this information, the division of Sullivan County into small regions will help her focus on the cemeteries found nearby her ancestor's land.
The authors dedicated the book to
Virginia M. Porter (1906 - 2000)
mother and grandmother.
Why don't you list the names found in the cemeteries in alphabetical order?
To provide researchers with as much information as possible, the burial order is maintained in the cemetery listings. If direct familial relationships are not inscribed on the stone, the researcher can infer possible relationships based on stones found nearby. Alphabetical listings can break the bond of husband and wife if siblings are buried in the same cemetery.
Do you include census data, marriage records, or other similar information?
In short, no. This book gives a detailed account of the burial data from tombstones in Sullivan County, Tennessee. Other public documents, such as census data, birth certificates, and marriage records, are available from other published sources as well as courthouses and library archives.