Sampson County North Carolina Cemeteries Other NC County Cemeteries

369    CHESNUTT - BELL - FORTNER FAMILY

Location - about 200 feet off Bell Woods Rd (SR-1938) and about 1.5 miles from E Mt. Gilead Church Rd (SR-1147).

Coordinates: 34d 55m 01.4s N; 78d 13m 45.0s W Click here for Online Maps

Directions: From Clinton take Hwy 421 South for 7.9 miles, turn left onto East Mt. Gilead Church Road (SR-1147). Go about 0.2 mile, turn left onto Bell Wood Road (SR-1938) go for 1.5 mile, turn right, the cemetery will be straight ahead about 200 feet.

Survey compiled by Bradley Lee West and published in 2004. Updated by Robert Bruce Fortner in October 2011. When the survey was originally made only one grave marker was there. (Annie Belle, who died in Tampa, Florida and was brought back to NC to be buried in her family cemetery, wife of W.F. Fortner). In the past few years grave markers have been added by Robert Bruce Fortner to show location of graves of his great grandparents and great-great grandparents, great uncle and great great aunt. This cemetery tells a lot about who the descendents are and who were the owners of the property. This home place and cemetery has been in ther family since 1853, when Elizabeth Parker Chesnutt, widow of Charles King Chesnutt, purchased and gave it to her son Jonathan Chesnutt, by deed of gift about 1855. The location of each grave was told and shown to Robert Bruce Fortner many years ago when he was young, and he is probably the last person to know who is buried in the cemetery.

This cemetery holds the buried remains of Jonathan Chesnutt and his wife, Sarah (Sally) Pearson Chesnutt, their two daughters Octavia Chesnutt and her husband Luther R. Bell, and Emma Chesnutt, and some of their descendants.

1. Bell, Luther R.   (b. Mar 1850 - d. 19 Jan 1923)
Husband of Octavia Chesnutt. Son of William Wright Bell and Sarah Driver Bell.
2. Bell, Octavia J. Chesnutt   (b. Aug 1855 - d. 9 May 1920)
Wife of Luther Bell. Daughter of Jonathan Chesnutt and Sarah Pearson Chesnutt.
3. Bell, Robert Bruce   (b. Jan 1882 - d. Nov 1902)
Son of Luther Bell and Octavia Chesnutt Bell
4. Bryan, Infant   (b. Abt 1900 - d. Abt 1900)
Unmarked. Child of John Bryan and Lutie Bell Bryan.
5. Butler, Emma E. Chesnutt   (b. 1859 - d. Abt 1896)
Wife of Doctor Vann Butler, Daughter of Sarah Pearson and her Husband, Jonathan Chesnutt
6. Chesnutt, Jonathan   (b. Abt 1815 - d. Abt 1888)
Husband of Sarah Pearson. Son of Charles King Chesnutt and Elizabeth Parker Chesnutt.
7. Chesnutt, Sarah "Sally" Pearson   (b. Abt 1829 - d. Abt 1890)
Wife of Jonathan Chesnutt. Daughter of Jonathan Pearson and Ann Pearson
8. Fortner, Annie Bell   (b. 20 Mar 1886 - d. 28 Jul 1915)
Wife of W.F. Fortner. Mother of Bruce Fulton Fortner, Annie Bell Fortner Harrell and James Wright Fortner, Daughter of Luther Bell and Octavia Chesnutt Bell.
9. Fortner, Edith Louise   (b. 24 Jul 1934 - d. 20 Jul 1935)
Infant
10. Fortner, Infant   (b. 1952 - d. 1952)
Unmarked. Stillborn Male Fortner.