Stokes Private Cemetery, 1832

Old County Road south of Villa Drive

A short stroll west (through the woods along the north fence of the Daphne Baptist Cemetery) will reveal a small fenced graveyard, a silent reminder of the custom of burying family members and beloved workers on the large plantations that once occupied this land. When Samuel Stokes returned from the Civil War, nothing was left of his fine home or his family. His wife, Sarah, and three of his children had died; his home was stripped of furnishings. In despair, he made plans to move away, but his friends gave him strength to stay and rebuild his life. He hired “Mammy” Rose Jenkins to keep house for him. Soon, he remarried and was blessed with six daughters; his home was again filled with joy. The oldest headstone in this family plot features a weeping willow and the following inscription:  “In memory of Sarah M, wife of Samuel E. Stokes and daughter of Lewis and Louisa Starke, born April 15, 1832, and died February 21, 1863, Age 30 years 10 months and 6 days.” Other headstones include those of his small children and “Mammy”.