ROBERT CROWDER CEMETERY

This cemetery is located in No. 8 Township, Cleveland County, N.C. on
east side of Grassy Branch on the northeast side of a road running north
and south from the home of Rolland Philbeck's to Everett Crowder's
graveyard, being some 300 yards from said branch and in the garden of
said Robert Crowder.

Owner of Cemetery: Columbus Peeler and Wife

There are not marked graves.
 Unmarked graves: 12
General condition of cemetery: Abandoned.

Date of survey: Jan. 10, 1939
Worker: Anson G. Melton

There are twelve unmarked graves in this cemetery. From what we can
learn, with one or two exceptions, they are Crowder graves. I am
quoting in full some notes on this cemetery from P. Cleveland Gardner,
Cleveland County Historian:

"The following data given by W. Yancy Crowder of Shelby, N.C., age 78
years, son of Robert Crowder, Jr., and grandson of Bartlett Crowder, and
great grandson of Robert Crowder, Sr., to wit: Names of people buried
in graveyard (in order listed):

 1. Infant child of Robert Crowder;
 2. Robert Crowder, Sr.;
 3. _______ Crowder, wife of Robert Crowder, Sr.;
 4. William Fortenberry, buried about 1870;
 5. Fannie Crowder Fortenberry, buried about 1875; she was the wife of
 William Fortenberry, and daughter of Robert Crowder, Sr.

Two other graves are unknown to W. Yancy Crowder, but he thinks they are
those of the family of Robert Crowder, Sr., and William Fortenberry.
f
"Robert Crowder, Sr., was a pioneer settler of what is now known as
Cleveland county, N.C.; he died between 1840 and 1845. Near the above
graveyard is an old spring used by Robert Crowder, Sr., which flows into
Grassy Branch, and in some large rocks about 20 feet below the spring
are to be seen large pot holes made in large solid rocks by Robert
Crowder, Sr., which was used to pound or beat corn into meal, which was
used for cooking purposes and also for making whiskey. Said Robert
Crowder, Sr., owned a large tract of land; family tradition says he came
from Virginia to this section. Robert Crowder, Sr., reared a large
family, some of whom went West; also, the following two person were
children of Robert Crowder, Sr., to wit:

"ALLEN Crowder was a son of Robert Crowder, Sr.; he settled on northeast
side of upper end of Brushy Creek in No. 8 Township, and his children
were Godfrey Crowder, Mathew Crowder, John K. Crowder, also, one
daughter who married a Ramsey, and one that married Mr. Washburn.

'BARTLETT CROWDER was a son of Robert Crowder, Sr., his children were
Joe Crowder, John Crowder, Robert Crowder, Jr., William Crowder, Spencer
Crower and Mike Crowder; also four daughters, Sarah Crowder married Good
Grigg, Mary Crowder married John Grigg, Fanny Crowder married J. C.
(Coone) Peeler, and Eliza Crowder married John (Broozer) Peeler.

"William Fortenberry, born 1797, and his wife, Fannie Crowder
Fortenberry was born 1803; their children were (in order listed),
Harbard, Malcom, Fanny T., Mary E., Angus, Susan A., and Abram G., who
was born 1849.

"Following death of Robert Crowder, Sr., said farm was owned by Ban [Ben
?] Willis, Then Alfred Grigg, then John Philbeck, whose heirs are in
possession at this time."

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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 conditions of that time.
All information has been donated to the NCGenWeb Project but authors retain copyright protection under law.
It may be referenced and briefly exerpted under the universal fair use doctrine.
For a copy of the complete Cleveland County WPA Cemetery Survey CD, see http://www.hartshorn.us/CWPA.htm