Submitted by James W. Miller, Jr.
The Bentley family cemetery is located near Barrett’s Mountain on the lands of Mr. & Mrs. Clarence (Elvina Bentley) Cook. Take S.R. 1152 from Hwy. 127 until it intersects with S.R. 1153. Before this intersection take road on the left. Cemetery is at end of this road on a steep hill behind the home of the Cooks. At one time this cemetery was badly overgrown. It was cleared and grassed by the Cooks, who removed the rock markers of the graves and replaced them with funeral home markers. There are over 80 graves in this cemetery. Below are the tombstone inscriptions of marked stones, read in the early 1990’s.
Notes in brackets [ ] are from my personal research.
Elmore, son of A & C Bentley July 2, 1912 – Dec 23 1912
[Elmore was a twin to Stuart Joe Bentley, both sons of Augustus and Cora (Teague) Bentley. Augustus “Gus” Bentley was a son of Joseph and Sarah (Hollar) Bentley Jr. Cora was a daughter of Lawrence and Ellen Teague.]
Cora wife of A. [Augustus] Bentley May 8, 1892 – Aug 20, 1917
[Cora died of childbirth fever nineteen days after the birth of her daughter, Effie Bentley]
James Bentley May 1845 – June 26, 1933
Susan A., his wife, Feb 24, 1836 – July 9, 1912
[James, son of Joseph and Clarissa (Presnell) Bentley Sr., married Susan Adeline (Austin) Perry (Widow Perry), daughter of Margaret Austin, 16 Dec 1867 in Alexander County.]
Ellis McDaniel Bentley Oct 2, 1871 – Apr 11, 1948
(wife) Lunda Omi Bentley July 25, 1887 – Jan 9, 1965
Henerita S. wife of Nathan Bentley Sept 11, 1841 – Dec 16, 1917
Aged 76 years, 8 months, 5 days
Nathan Bentley died Aug 22, 1914 aged about 76 years
Rock with hand inscribed (H?) W B D. 1902
Mary, wife of Moses Teague Sept 17, 1849 – June 30, 1909
[daughter of Joseph and Clarissa (Presnell) Bentley, Sr. Moses, son of William and
Sarah Teague. Moses and Mary married 23 Oct 1879 in Alexander County.]
D.A. Hollar “Father” 1861 – 1943
E.F. Hollar “Mother” 1857 – 1932
Melvin Hollar 1900 – 1927
Jesse L. son of D.A. & E.F. Hollar July 27, 1891 – Feb 2, 1918
“A Pvt. Soldier died at Camp Sevier, SC – Gone but not forgotten”
Harvey Poly Bentley Feb 10, 1882 – May 6, 1966 “In loving memory”
Caroline, wife of H.P. Bentley July 1890 – Jan 10, 1932 aged 41 years, 6 months, 9 days “Gone but not forgotten”
[Harvey Poly Bentley, son of Joseph and Sarah (Hollar) Bentley, Jr., grandson of Joseph and Clarissa (Presnell) Bentley, Sr., married Mary Caroline Bentley 19 May 1904 in Alexander County.]
May Bentley May 16, 1905 – Jan 1924
Infants of Mr & Mrs Poly Bentley
Virginia Nov 6, 1916 – Dec 13, 1916
Mary Louise March 22, 1925 – March 22, 1925
Belinda, wife of Daniel Presnell Oct 12, 1813 – March 23, 1905
Marble marker – “Infant Bentley”
Grace Mae Bentley, infant daughter of Luda Jane Bentley
Oct 25, 1951 – March 1, 1952
Clara C. Bentley Dec 17, 1906 – Dec 16, 1934
Marble marker “Infant Bentley”
Sarah Hollar Bentley “no dates”
[born 1867, daughter of Jonas and Elizabeth Hollar, married Joseph Bentley, Jr., 11 March 1875 in Alexander Co., son of Joseph and Clarissa (Presnell) Bentley, Sr.]
Tilford Eli Bentley Aug 26, 1902 – June 3, 1973 “At Rest”
——————————————————————————–
Following is a list of other known burials in this cemetery.
Continuing research may reveal other burials.
Conly (Conlie) Bentley Jan 29, 1919 – July 20, 1919 son of Lawrence Partee Bentley and Fannie Teague Bentley, who were married in Alexander County 20 March 1907. Lawrence was a son of Hugh and Anna (Presnell) Bentley, and grandson of Joseph and Clarissa (Presnell) Bentley, Sr.
Infant male Bentley May 9, 1924 – May 9, 1924 son of Andrew Bentley and Clara (Bentley) Bentley.
Joseph Bentley Sr. born 1807-1808 died Feb 3, 1897
The following is from The Semi-Weekly Landmark {Statesville, NC] , Tuesday, Feb. 9, 1897:
Joseph Bentley, aged about 90 years, died to-day at his home in Wittenburg township.
He was one of the oldest citizens of the county. Taylorsville, N. C., Feb. 3, 1897.
William Lafayette Bentley Oct 8, 1888 – Nov 24, 1949 son of Gus Bentley and Margaret Bentley
Bentley male (stillbirth) died Oct 30, 1952 son of Luda Jane Bentley
Wiley Andrew Bentley March 15, 1904 – June 22, 1985 son of Ellis McDaniel Bentley and Ella (Ellie) Fox Bentley
Luzena Doca Bentley Calloway Oct 5, 1921 – Sept 13, 1985 wife of Ernest W. Calloway, daughter of Jack Bentley and Fannie Mae (Bentley) Bentley.
Genelia Austin Bentley Sept 1873 – Dec 25, 1947 wife of James Wesley Bentley, daughter of Nathan Bentley and Henrietta (Austin) Bentley.
Mary Keller Nov 1847 – Dec 25, 1917
[Mabel Japinga of Ann Arbor, Michigan, furnished information that Mary Keller was buried by Harvey Poly Bentley in a handmade coffin and that he signed her death certificate. She also stated according to Mrs. Clarence Price, Alexander County genealogist, Mary Keller’s body was taken to Bentley cemetery by a black man by the name of Al Little, who lived nearby, in a wagon pulled by two oxen and buried near her daughter, Jo-An Keller, and her mother, Mary (Bentley) Keller.]
Jo-An Keller, b. March 1874 – died between 1900-1910, daughter of Mary Keller. Jo-An never married. She was the mother of John Parks Keller, b. Aug 1897, and Quincy Partee Keller, b. Jan. 1900.
Mary (Bentley) Keller , b. May 1814 Burke County d. 1899-1900 Alexander Co. age 85, wife of Aquilla Keller b, Feb. 1815 Burke County d. between 1847-1850 Greene Co., TN. Mary and Aquilla marred in Wilkes County 5 Oct 1835. Mary was a daughter of Moses and Mary (Campbell?) Bentley, Sr.
Mary (Campbell?) Bentley b. 1775 Wilkes County d. between 1870-1880 Alexander County. She was listed as 95 years old in the 1870 Alexander County census. Widow of Moses Bentley, Sr. who died in 1827 Burke (now Alexander Co.) NC.
Augustus “Gus” Bentley, b. 11 March 1875 married 23 Dec 1909 Alexander County, NC, Cora Teague. Gus died 22 Feb 1941 in Gaston Co., NC. He started across the train tressel on the South Fork River, while drinking, and slipped and fell into the icy waters, breaking his neck and drowning. His body was taken back to Alexander Co., where he was buried beside his wife, Cora, in Bentley cemetery.
——————————————————————————–
Alexander Co Death Register
Bk 4 page 154:
Henerita Bentley b. Sept 11, 1841 d. Dec. 16, 1917 aged 76 y 3 m. 5d. Buried Dec 18, 1917 Bentley cemetery. Father: William Austin b. Burke Co. Mother: Margaret Bentley b. Burke [Note: Margaret Bentley was a daughter of Moses and Mary Bentley. Sr.]
Bk1 page 115:
Nathan Bentley b. June 25, 1839 “Alexander Co.” d. Aug. 22, 1914 Ellendale Township ages 75 y. 2 m. 7d. “Committed suicide.” Father: Joseph Bentley Mother: Clarissa Presnell.
Bk 6 page 17:
Infant female Bentley b. 6 Nov 1919, d. 19 Nov. 1919 age 13 days; buried 20 Nov 1919. Father: Poly Bentley Mother: Caroline Bentley.
Bk 11 page 5:
Infant Male Bentley b. May 9, 1924 d. May 9, 1924 Lived 2 hrs. 30 mins. Buried May 9, 1924 Bentley cemetery. Undertaker: “Friends.” Father: Andrew Bentley. Mother: Clara Bentley.
Bk 19 page 3:
Clara Bentley b. [no date], d. Dec, 22, 1932 age approx. 30 years. Buried Dec. 23, 1932 Bentley graveyard. “Burned – Clothes caught on fire.” Father: Ellis Bentley. Mother: Eller Fox. Husband: Andy Bentley.
Bk 39 p. 6:
Gracy Mae Bentley b. Oct 25, 1951 d. March 1, 1952 age 4 m. 6 d., buried Bentley cemetery. Father: [blank]. Mother: Ludy Jane Bentley. Informant: Eli Bentley.
Catawba Co NC Death Register:
Bk10 p. 200:
Louise Bentley b. 16 Feb 1924 Catawba Co. d. 22 March 1924. age 1 month 6 days. Buried 23 March 1924 Bentley cemetery, Alexander Co., NC. Father: Poly Bentley. Mother: Caroline Bentley [daughter of W. A. and Mindy (Fox) Bentley.]
NOTE: Death certificate dates DO NOT match Louise’s tombstone in Bentley cemetery.