LEE CEMETERY

This cemetery is located in Cleveland County, N.C. in No. 2 Township
about ¼ mile east of home of late William N. Blanton, father of Prof.
Lawton Blanton, 2 miles south of Sharon M. E. Church on east side of
road leading to Flint Hill Road, on high knoll out in edge of woods, and
grown up small trees and bushes. The farm is now owned by Dr. Yates
Hamrick.

Owner of Cemetery: Prof. Lawton Blanton

Number of marked graves: 18
 Before 1914:            18
 After 1914:             None
 Unmarked:               60

Earliest marked grave: Owen Lee, d. June 21, 1817

Condition; Covered with woods and grass with water oaks, hickories, one
pine and other bushes growing therein.

Date of survey: June 23, 1939

Inscriptions:

Lee, Owen
D. June 21, 1817
Aged: 56 years, 5 months, 10 days

Lee, Elizabeth
B. Mar. 31, 1765
D. Aug. 3, 1854
Aged: 89 years, 4 months

Lee, John
B. Mar. 8, 1784
D. Dec. 20, 1823
Aged: 39 years, 9 months, 12 days

Lee, Infant son of
 Geo. & Pricilla Lee
D. July 1846
Aged: 3 days

Lee, Sarah
D. Jan. 3, 1856
Aged: 64 years

Lee, R. E. (on native stone with no date)

Lee, Phebe
D. Feb. 14, 1848
Aged: 58 years, 14 days

Lee, Pricilla
D. Feb. 25, 1848
Aged: 40 years, 5 months, 16 days

Lee, Richard
D. May 12, 1845
Aged: 51 years, 12 days

Lee, William O.
D. Nov. 2, 1851
Aged: 41 years, 7 months, 12 days

Blanton, Lucy E., sister of D. A.
 & J. H. Blanton
B. July 6, 1816
D. July 6, 1878

Lee, John W.
D. June 19, 1851
Aged: 35 years, 6 months, 19 days

Lee, Infant of
 J. W. & Emely Lee
D. June 12, 1851
Aged: 6 weeks

Lee, Eliza M. A.
D. Feb. 24, 1848
Aged: 11 years, 4 months, 11 days

Lee, L., daughter of
 Sarah Lee
Aged 5 years (No dates)

"M. A. L." (No dates)

Following data by P. Cleveland Gardner:

In an interview with Lawton Blanton on May 30, 1939, I am informed that
Owen Lee was a Rev. War soldier and was the first Lee to settle in this
section. He settled south of present Sharon M. E. Church, and the place
is now owned by Dr. Yates Hamrick of Boiling Springs, which farm is
situated about ¼ mile east of home place of the late William N,.
Blanton in No. 2 Township. The old Lee Camp Ground was located two
miles south of said Sharon church, between the homes of said William N.
Blanton, now owned by his daughter, Zulia Roberts. This was the oldest
place of worship in the community and was followed by erection of the
Lee Methodist Church, which was situated south of Sharon about 2 miles
and in the southeast portion of the yard of said William N. Blanton.
This church was a small building about 20 x 25 ft. with a rock chimney
at west end. The chimney stood until about 1890. The Lee Methodist
Church, and another Methodist church, which stood in the present
Shinghai Community, consolidated and became known as, The Sharon M. E.
Church

Additional data by P. Cleveland Gardner:

Lawson Harrill's Reminiscences, and also on Griffin, page 88, states
that one James Lee was born in Va. In 1748 and died in Rutherford
County in 1810. That he was a farmer. That he married in 1773,

Mary Chisolm, of Virginia, but came to Rutherford County before the Rev.
War. That he fought at Kings Mountain and was at Cowpens where he was
severely wounded and was carried home some 15miles distant. That his
daughter, Casandra Lee, married William Baxter, and a number of his
descendants reside in Rutherford County.

 OWEN LEE-

In the files of the Court House of Cleveland County, among the files of
the old court called "Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions", now being
indexed and arranged by the Historical Works Survey under supervision of
the writer, was found an affidavit showing that Owen Lee was a soldier
in the Rev. War. The data in brief therein stated is as follows:
"Owen Lee, Rev. War Soldier, Husband of Elizabeth Lee" (ss). Affidavit
by Vincent W. Lee and Spencer M. Grigg, dated ___ day of June 1855,
before B. Goforth, Justice of the Peace, Cleveland (Co.) respectable and
credible citizens of said County appeared before said B. Goforth and
made oath that Elizabeth Lee, the widow of Own Lee, who is reported to
have been a soldier in the Rev. War, died leaving his widow Elizabeth
Lee, who died August 3, 1854; and said Own Lee left the following
surviving children: Geo. Lee, Vincent Lee, Jerry Lee, Carter Lee,
William Lee, Elizabeth Lee, and Nancy Hardin, who are the only surviving
children of Elizabeth Lee, and widow of the said Owen Lee. Signed by B.
Goforth, J.P., and V. W. Lee, and S. M. Grigg" Following is an abstract
or notes on the Will of Owen Lee, on file in office of Clerk superior
Court, Cleveland County, N.C. Owen Lee Will dated April 2, 1817, filed
Sept. Session, 1854, Will Book No. 1, page 176----"to my wife
Elizabeth---" I appoint my sons, John and Ivey Executives, etc.
Witnesses: Abraham Irvin and Samuel Fondren. The writing of Abraham
Irvin was proven by oath of Joseph Hardin. Geo. Lee was sworn as
Administrator with Will annexed.


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This cemetery is among the many Cleveland cemeteries included on the Cleveland Count WPA Cemeteries CD,
copyrighted 2008, by Ann K. Propst and Derick S. Hartshorn.
All listings and cemeteries listings were made prior to 1940 and represent the contions of that time.
All information has been donated to the NCGenWeb Project but retains copyright protection by the authors.
It may be referenced and briefly exerpted under the universal fair use doctrine.
For a copy of the complete Cleveland County WPA Cemetery Survey, see http://www.hartshorn.us/CWPA.htm