Chatham County North Carolina Cemeteries Other NC County Cemeteries
Brought to you in partnership with Chatham County Historical Association https://www.chathamhistory.org

060    DARK, WILLIS [D43.1]

Location - Hadley Township. From SR 1520, Old Graham Road, go east 0.3 mile on SR 1547, Rock Rest Road. Take first left, go north 0.7 mile. Cemetery is west of house at 309 Rock Rest Rd.

Coordinates: 35d 49m 07.3s N; 79d 12m 42.2s W Click here for Online Maps

Six (6) grave markers were recorded by Will Heiser and Lamont Norwood, 14 July 1990. Ten (10) markers were read by Mrs. Wilber Lutterloh and Mrs. Emma Dell (Dark) Perry before February, 1992. Nine (9) markers were found by Will Heiser, 30 Sep 1993. Ten (10) burials in the Rock Rest Cemetery were mentioned in The Kith and Kin of the Darke-Dark Clan in America, 1680-1973, compiled by Mary Eugenia DeGroat, Birmingham, Alabama, 1974, pp. 308-309. Eleven (11) graves were photographed by Beverly Wiggins on 6 Mar 2020.

View #2 of the cemetery. View #3 of the cemetery. View #4 of the cemetery.

Owner: Andrew Tyo and Ana M. Owusu-Tyo; formerly Spalt.
Legal Description: Parcel number for cemetery is 89654. Deed Book 1689/260, references 433/507, 382/513, 475/467. Cemetery on Plat Book 6, Page 28.
Topo Quadrant: Bynum.
Family owned: Yes.
Abandoned: Yes.
Number of graves: 11.
Cemetery size: 0.2 acre.
White: Yes.
Restricted access: Yes. Private property.
Overgrown and easy to identify: Yes.
Enclosed: No.
Markers: Yes.
Markers with inscriptions: Yes.
Number of readable markers: 11.
Last burial: 2011.
First burial: 1858.
Hazards: Neglect.
Significant events: Ten burials are recorded in "The Kith and Kin of the Darke-Dark Clan in America, 1680--1973," by Mary Eugenia DeGroat, Birmingham AL, 1974, pp. 308-309.

Miscellaneous information: Foundation stones of original Rock Rest Academy are east of the house, east of the cemetery.

Last canvassed by: Will M. Heiser (14 Jul 1990), w/ Lamont Norwood, Cathy Markatos, David and Judith Peterson. Date: 30 Sep 1993. Andrew Tyo, Ana Owusu, Grim Hobbs, Doug Berg, and Bev Wiggins, 6 Mar 2020.

1. Dark, Emma Henrietta   (b. 22 Jan 1863 - d. 3 Oct 1876)
Daughter of John H. and Isabella E. (Henderson) Dark. [d. 8 Oct 1878, 15 yrs., of diptheria per Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92.] {Ref: "...Dark Clan...," Mary Eugenia De Groat, 1974, p. 309} Checked cemetery 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Close up. Location row 1. column 4.
2. Dark, Isabella E. (Henderson)   (b. 16 Feb 1838 - d. 16 Nov 1881)
Wife of John H. Dark. [ ] from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92. Checked cemetery 30 Sep 1993/WMH. {Ref: ",,,Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia De Groat, 1974, p. 309}. Close up. Location row 1. column 3.
3. Dark, Mary (McPherson)   (b. 9 Jul 1801 - d. 11 Oct 1878)
Wife of Willis Dark. [Data from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92] {Ref: "...Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, 1974, p. 308} Cemetery checked, 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Location row 2. column 3.
4. Dark, Nancy   (b. 3 Mar 1828 - d. 11 Aug 1902)
Daughter of Willis and Mary (McPherson) Dark. Footstone: "N.D.". {Never married. Ref: ",,,Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, 1974, p. 308} [Never married per Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92.] Checked cemetery 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Close up. Location row 1. column 1.
5. Dark, Virginia Carolina   (b. 19 Mar 1867 - d. 3 Oct 1876)
Daughter of John H. and Isabella E. (Henderson) Dark. [Data from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92. Died from diptheria.] {Ref: "...Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, 1974, p. 309} Couldn't locate stone when cemetery checked 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Close up.
6. Dark, William   (b. 24 May 1826 - d. 16 Oct 1902)
Son of Willis and Mary (McPherson) Dark. Footstone: "W.D.". {Never married. Ref: "..Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, 1974, p. 308} . [ ] from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92. Checked cemetery 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Location row 1. column 2.
7. Dark, Willis   (b. 4 May 1793 - d. 5 Sep 1858)
Husband of Mary (McPherson) Dark. [ ] from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92. Checked cemetery 30 Sep 1993/WMH. {married 6 Jan 1821, 10 children. Ref: "...Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, 1974, p. 308}. Location row 2. column 4.
8. Dark, Willis Manning   (b. 29 Sep 1872 - d. 9 Oct 1876)
Son of John H. and Isabella E. (Henderson) Dark. [Died from diptheria. Data from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92.] {Ref: "...Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, 1974, p. 309} Cemetery checked 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Location row 1. column 5.
9. Durham, Susannah (Dark) (West)   (b. 25 Oct 1821 - d. 24 Aug 1889)
Wife of Ira West and Alex Durham. Footstone: "S.D.". {Ref: "...Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, 1974, p. 308} Data from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92. Cemetery checked 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Close up. Location row 2. column 1.
10. Owusu-Tyo, Jacinta Maria   (b. Unknown - d. 3 Jan 2011)
Daughter of Andrew James Tyo and Ana Marva Owusu-Tyo. "Love never ends."
11. Perry, Julia A. (Dark)   (b. 12 Apr 1840 - d. 20 Oct 1877)
Wife of Corney Perry. Age 37y 8m 8d. "Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep from which none ever wake to weep" "A calm and undsturbed (sic) repose. Unbroken by the last of foes". {Ref: "...Dark Clan..." Mary Eugenia DeGroat, [ ] from Wilber Lutterloh, 3-4-92. 1974, p. 309} Cemetery checked 30 Sep 1993/WMH. Row 2. column 2.