Old Zion Methodist Church Cemetery
Bamberg County, South Carolina


This cemetery is located on a dirt road off Howell's Mill Road, about one mile west of Highway 362, north of Highway 521 (Ehrhardt Road). This is about 10 miles southeast of Bamberg and about the same distance, southwest of Branchville. At the crossroads of Howell's Mill Road and Hwy 362 is the Bethel Baptist Church on the northeast corner and its cemetery on the southwest corner. At the entrance of the dirt road, on your left if you are traveling west from 362, is a small home made sign denoting the cemetery. This was the original location of the Zion Methodist Church which, according to a church member, was relocated around 1900. The cemetery, which probably was situated to the right of the church at the edge of a cleared field, is now in a heavy pine forest and is not visible from the main road. The area has been blanketed with 100 years of fallen limbs and pine needles and has been used as a dumping area for limbs and other yard debris. The terrain is very rolling, causing me to wonder if some unmarked graves are now covered by pine needles and debris. There is one fenced plot where the fence is not in good repair and there are no visible gravestones.
William Moss Raysor and Anna Murray Gavin Raysor


Fenced Plot:

William M. Raysor
Born Oct. 2, 1853
Died May 24, 1924

Annie Gavin
Wife of Wm. M. Raysor
Born May 8, 1856
Died Jan. 4, 1908



Fenced Plot:

Lillian McKenzie Black
Oct 5, 1879
June 20, 1948
Daughter of Dr. J. B. Black, Sr. and Martha Breland Black
Wife of Lemuel C. McKenzie

In Loving Memory of Our Mother
Martha Breland Black
Feb. 18, 1842
Oct. 19, 1929

Dr. J. B. Black, Sr.
April 21, 1837
July 1, 1891

Emma Edwards Steedly
Mar 26, 1841
Sept 20, 1897

Capt. Richard Joseph Steedly
Feb 18, 1831
Nov 3, 1902
(Confederate Flag)

Vivian and Ernest
Children of
J. W. and M. J. Steedly
(no dates)

Nettie M. Berry
Daughter of
S. F. and M. F. Berry
Jan 21, 1893
Mar 8, 1893

John E. Road
Jan 13, 1847
Spet 18, 1868

Mary M.
Wife of N. D. Rhoad
Oct 2, 1821
May 10, 1896

Nathaniel D. Road
Oct 9, 18__
(sorry- I was audio taping my notes and lost this one)

Hannah S.
Wife of J. D. Rhoad
Feb 16, 1848
Dec 25, 1896


Note: According to my grandmother's notes in the Stokes genealogy (Book of Stokes by J. Lemacks Stokes, 1915) Daisy Margaret Stokes, daughter of Jefferson Stokes and Mary Elizabeth Tatum Stokes, also is buried here. She was born Nov 10, 1870 and died Feb 15, 1891.