FRIENDS of
OCONEE HILL CEMETERY Fall 2014
Tr u s t e e s Lucy Erwin Allen Mark J. Costantino Robert E. Gibson Helen Hudson Mills Walter A. Sams III W. Thomas Wilfong Nancy B. Denson, Mayor, Athens-Clarke County, ex-officio E m e r i t u s Tr u s t e e William E. Hopkins Jr. B o a r d o f t h e Fr i e n d s Officers, 2013–2014
President, Jane Begnaud Vice-President, Joseph E. Tillman Corresponding Secretary, Susan C. Field Treasurer, Sue Boatright Recording Secretary, Nancy B. Bowen
From the President It has been an honor for me to serve as president of the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery for the past two years. To be able to work with such a dedicated Board of Directors and such a supportive membership has been truly rewarding. In addition, the assistance and guidance we have received from UGA staff, faculty and students in the projects they have undertaken have benefited the cemetery in countless ways and will enable us to move forward in making plans for continued improvements. What were only daydreams and possibilities a few years ago are now realities. These efforts and accomplishments have been featured in our newsletters and are a result of your continued support by both your membership and donations to FOH. Our recent cemetery assessment proved to be very enlightening and will enable us to develop both short- and long-range goals for addressing existing needs. Going forward, perhaps the most significant project to be undertaken will be in assisting the trustees in their efforts to increase the perpetual care endowment fund to a level that will generate enough income to provide the care the cemetery requires. Oconee Hill Cemetery is a work in progress (over 150 years of progress), and it requires our constant attention and care and support. We are truly fortunate to have such a dedicated group as this driving force and for that I am most grateful! Jane S. Begnaud President
Ware Marker Dedication
Board of Directors Sallyanne Barrow Janet Bishop Janie Bush Devereux Burch Helen Costantino Joanna Traylor Guy Kathy Hoard Gene Howard Claire R. James J. Gibson Johnston Mary Ann Bittner Kenner Richard B. Lane Nan R. Leathers Ann Green Moseley JoAn Lewis Salloum Top: Wingfield Chapel dedication; left to right: Jane Begnaud, outgoing president, FOH; John McLeod, builder and architect; Joe Tillman, incoming president, FOH; W. Terry Wingfield; Joy Wingfield. Bottom: Construction of the Wingfield Chapel. Photos by Mark Costantino.
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Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery
When Lynn Ware Spratling, great-great-granddaughter of William J. Ware and prime mover of marking his grave, spoke of his life and descendants at the March 29 ceremony to dedicate the marker, she emphasized the “heritage of kindness” that characterizes the Ware family. The spirit of the occasion exemplified one of the original purposes of a Victorian cemetery: the gathering of family to promote a sense of belonging and continuity. William J. “Bud” Ware grew up in what is now called the Ware-Lyndon House, served briefly in the Troup Artillery during the Civil War and died on Feb. 28, 1883, of pneumonia at age 47 at his plantation near Fairburn, survived by a large family of young children. His grave went unmarked for 131 years. Other participants in the dedication ceremony were the 18th Georgia Volunteer Army Color Guard; great-grandsons David A. “Dan” and Macon Hugh Ware; Charlotte Thomas Marshall; William Smedlund, historian of the Troup Artillery; and members of the Laura Rutherford, Emma Sansom and General R.M.B. Young chapters of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The ceremony was followed by a beautiful reception in the Sexton’s House, hosted by the Laura Rutherford Chapter UDC. Members of the Ware family flanking the William J. Ware marker in the Hull-Ware lot on East Hill: Steve Ware (son of Hugh), Peggy and Dan Ware, Hugh Ware, Jim Ware (son of Hugh), Lynn Ware Spratling, Brian and Madison Ozment (son and granddaughter of Danette) and Danette Ware Ozment (daughter of Dan). Photo by Charlotte Thomas Marshall.
Fall 2014
Veterans Day Observance New FOH vice president Nancy Bowen welcomed everyone to our annual Veterans Day observance and turned the program over to the UGA ROTC Color Guard for the posting of the colors, followed by the National Anthem and the Pledge of Allegiance. Rev. Betsy Butler, minister of missions for Athens First United Methodist Church, delivered the opening prayer. Lt. Col. Kurt P. Felpel, professor of military science and department head for Army ROTC at UGA, highlighted the observance of Veterans Day at this year’s event. Held on Nov. 11 at 11 a.m., the annual observance provides an opportunity for the community to honor our veterans from all service branches.
Felpel graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor of arts degree in history and received his master’s degree in public administration from Central Michigan University. In addition to serving stateside, he was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Belgium, and also served in Korea, Kosovo and Iraq. Since August of 2011, he has held his current position at UGA. He is married to the former Tiffany Uresti of Houston, Texas, and they have two boys, Cooper and Wyatt. At the conclusion of the program, everyone was invited to visit with the veterans present, tour the cemetery grounds and the Sexton’s House and enjoy refreshments.
Oliver Marker Dedication
Rev. Charles James Oliver, “The Lamented Lucy Cobb,” ca. 1858. Courtesy of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, UGA.
A grave marker for the wife and stillborn baby of Rev. Charles James Oliver was dedicated on Sept. 25 in Oconee Hill Cemetery. Rev. Oliver was known for his talents and services to his fellow man and among his accomplishments is the painted likeness of Lucy Cobb, the daughter of Thomas R.R. Cobb, for whom the Lucy Cobb Institute in Athens was named in 1857. In later years that portrait was overpainted by an art teacher at the school, and it was not until the building was restored by the University of Georgia in relatively recent years that the painting was
cleaned and the overpainting discovered and carefully removed. It now hangs as originally painted by Oliver in the parlor of Lucy Cobb, home of UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government, on Milledge Avenue (a copy of the portrait is in the T.R.R. Cobb House). Top left: Speakers at the dedication were Bill Smedlund, historian of the Troup Artillery in which Oliver served as soldier and chaplain, and Rev. Matt Nelson. Bottom center: Maurine Pittman reading from Oliver’s journal. Photos by Charlotte Thomas Marshall.
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WingďŹ eld Chapel Is Dedicated
On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 26, on one of the prettiest spots in the cemetery, a shady knoll dotted with tall pines long viewed as an ideal location for a chapel, the Wingfield Chapel was dedicated. A generous grant from the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation made it possible to erect this lovely stone structure on the very spot first suggested for this use 100 years ago. Fred B. Wilson established the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation in 1954 and named it for his wife. The foundation funds grants to charitable, civic, religious and educational organizations in Georgia and has provided grants of more than $50 million, with several million going to organizations in the Athens-Clarke County area. Several years ago, the foundation made a generous challenge grant to facilitate the restoration of the Sexton’s House at Oconee Hill. Mr. Wilson served as a vice president for the Georgia Power Co. He is credited with suggesting to the Southern Company president that the company should sell electric
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Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery
Fall 2014
A special thanks is extended to the architect and builder of the Wingfield Chapel, John McLeod. He is the son of John and Martha McLeod, both of whom are buried in Oconee Hill. The Friends would like to express our deepest gratitude to John for his vision, dedication and labor of love in helping make this chapel become a reality. We appreciate his interest in the cemetery and his creativity in building something that will last for years to come. John’s guidance, perspective and expertise are evident in every small detail that went into making this chapel the beautiful structure we enjoy today. Thanks to John for all the time, energy and love he gave to this worthwhile project.
Top right: W. Terry Wingfield. Right: Wingfield family. Photos by Mark Costantino.
home appliances at its offices throughout the state and allow its customers to pay for them in installment as part of their monthly electric bills, enabling the company to profit not only from the sale of these items, but also from the increased use of electricity. Wilson also dealt in real estate and was the majority stockholder of a company that held the lease on the Henry Grady Hotel in Atlanta. He raised Angus cattle on a 1,900-acre farm in North Fulton County, and he served on the Central of Georgia’s Board of Directors from 1955 until his death without compensation, requesting his fees to be paid to the foundation. Terry Wingfield first met Wilson in 1948 when Wingfield was a student at UGA working toward a bachelor’s of business administration. Wingfield’s father handled Wilson’s insurance needs, but health conditions forced him to retire, and Wingfield took over the servicing of Wilson’s account. In 1971, Wingfield became a trustee of the foundation and, since 1991, has served as chair and president. He married his college
sweetheart, Joy Wilkes, in 1951 and they have two sons, Terry Jr. and Chip, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Well known for his incisive leadership and stewardship, Wingfield has worked with the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Young Harris College, Woodruff Arts Center, YMCA, Athens Academy, UGA and Eagle Ranch, among many others. Wingfield’s ties to Oconee Hill Cemetery go back several generations. More than a dozen members of his family are buried in Oconee Hill, including his great-grandmother and great-grandfather, grandmother and grandfather, mother and father and several aunts and uncles. He feels the chapel honors not only him, but also his family. “Granman,” as he was named by his first grandson and is affectionately known by family and close friends, fittingly describes Wingfield and the role he has played as a Frances Wood Wilson trustee and as a community leader who has worked tirelessly to benefit others.
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In Memor y W.R. ALEXANDER Fran and Richard Lane
15th Annual Meeting of FOH
FIRST LT. WILLIAM C. BISSON Mrs. Fantona Bisson DR. AND MRS. GOODLOE ERWIN Helen and Mark Costantino Col. and Mrs. Robert A. Guy PATRICIA ERWIN Gwen W. Griffin VIRGINIA FENTRESS Suzanne and Jack Bennett
The Wingfield Chapel was the site of the annual meeting of the Friends of Oconee Hill, which was held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 26. A large number of members and special guests gathered to celebrate this year’s many accomplishments and the dedication of the new structure. The meeting was called to order by President Jane Begnaud and the officers for the 2014–15 term were elected. They are: president, Joe Tillman; vice president, Nancy Bowen (who will also serve as recording secretary); corresponding secretary, Susan Field; and treasurer, Sue Boatright. Returning directors were also elected along with a new addition to the board, Mrs. Anna Dyer. The program was turned over to incoming President Tillman, who thanked the outgoing president for her service. Board member Richard Lane recognized the trustees of the Frances Wood Wilson Foundation, members of the Wingfield family and builder and architect of the chapel John McLeod. W. Terry Wingfield shared brief remarks, and Rev. Chuck Hodges of Athens First United Methodist Church gave the benediction. A reception followed the business meeting. FOH annual meeting. Photo by Mark Costantino.
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Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery
FREDERICK LEATHERS JR. Charlotte and Claude Williams ANICA LEWIS Claire James JANET McPHERSON Sue Boatright LOUISE P. TILLMAN Thomas McKey Tillman Foundation, Inc. THOMAS M. TILLMAN Thomas McKey Tillman Foundation, Inc. JOHN H. TERRELL JR. Thomas McKey Tillman Foundation, Inc.
In Honor JANET GRIER McPHERSON AND THE JOHN H.T. MCPHERSON FAMILY The Langdale Foundation
Donations COBB-LUMPKIN FENCE Kevin Hart Butler Joy W. and Robert M. Cannon Henry Crisp The Estate of William N. Benedict by Charles C. Benedict, William N.
Fall 2014
Benedict Jr., S. Bryan Benedict, Thomas C. Benedict and Henry J. Benedict Paul and Barbara Hicks Gerry G. Hull Frank G. Lumpkin III Leslie B. Morris T.R.R. Cobb House (Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc.) HULL-WELTNER MONUMENT RESTORATION Leslie B. Morris JACOB PHINIZY LOT Louise T. Adams Greta T. Covington Robert Malcolm Fortson Jr. and Family Leslie Freeman and Anne F. Freeman Billups and Linda Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Bowdre P. Mays The Piano Company Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Pointer John Spalding Marjorie T. Sennett Sue Smith Elinor T. Terrell Terrell Family Foundation B.P. Tillman Mary Catherine and Tom Tillman Trish and Joe Tillman TREE REMOVAL/REPLACEMENT The Garden Club of Georgia, Inc. WINGFIELD CHAPEL Frances Wood Wilson Foundation
“Landscapes of the Hereafter: Three historic cemeteries in Athens, GA”
e possible with Exhibit mad the support from nee Hill Friends of Oco Cemetery
Left to right: Joe Tillman, incoming president, FOH; Melissa Tufts, director, Owens Library and Circle Gallery; Dan Shinkle, Melanie Bowerman and Annette Griffin, graduate students and exhibit artists, College of Environment and Design; Jane Begnaud, outgoing president, FOH. Photo by Audra Lofton.
People under the age of 30 rarely think of cemeteries. So the opportunity to create an exhibit was a rare and rewarding experience for the three graduate students in UGA’s College of Environment and Design (CED) who helped create this exhibition in the CED’s Circle Gallery, which was on view Oct. 9 to Nov. 17. Annette Griffin, Dan Shinkle and Melanie Bowerman Hayes produced elegant and intriguing panels that powerfully evoked the sublime beauty of these important cultural landscapes, especially Oconee Hill Cemetery. With Janine Duncan serving as curator and historian, they spent 4 weeks exploring, photographing, contemplating and, ultimately, admiring three of Athens’ historic burial grounds. In addition to Oconee Hill, the students studied Old Athens Cemetery and Gospel Pilgrim Cemetery. Every day, hundreds of UGA undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff walked by the glass-fronted gallery and saw the exhibition. Many realized for the first time that we have these important landscapes in our midst and now see them as opportunities for landscape design inspiration and historic preservation projects. One student commented, “Our society moves around so much now that burial grounds aren’t really part of our lives like they once were. I see now how important it is to appreciate the ones that exist. This show has made me think a lot about my family’s cemetery in Mississippi and made me realize how beautiful these sites can be.” Annette, Dan and Melanie visited Oconee Hill Cemetery on several occasions, at various times of day and in different light. They were introduced to a lot of Athens history, learning the names of people buried at the sites, detailing the handiwork of the Bisson family and rambling through the sites undisturbed, looking for clues to the past. CED is home to one of the oldest and largest landscape architecture programs (undergraduate and graduate) in the country and is accredited by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board and American Society of Landscape Architects. Graduate programs also include historic preservation and environmental planning and design. Daniel Nadenicek is the college’s dean. We extend a special thanks to Melissa Tufts, director of the Owens Library and Circle Gallery, who made this wonderful exhibition possible.
New Board Member John Gibson Johnston Jr. (“Gib”) was born in Statesboro and reared in Swainsboro. He attended Georgia Southern University (Georgia Teachers College) and the University of Georgia, graduating with a degree in zoology and a minor in history. He worked as a research microbiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, retiring in 1994. During
the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army as a surgical technician in a M.A.S.H. hospital. He and his wife, Beth, met at UGA and have been married 56 years. They have two children and seven grandchildren. His great-grandparents are buried in Oconee Hill Cemetery. He is an avid outdoorsman and hunter and has worked for the Russell Library transcribing historic documents.
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NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID ATHENS, GA PERMIT NO. 342
Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery Post Office Box 49219 Athens, GA 30604 Return Service Requested
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The new Wingfield Chapel. Photo by Mark Costantino.