N30 55.814' W87 18.082'

 

Beginning in Cantonment at US 29/CR 184, drive North toward Century, approximately 23.5 miles to  Crary Memorial Cemetery, on the right. The Pleasant HIll Baptist Church is adjacent to the cemetery, and one should use their parking lot to gain access to the rear of the church, where a winding asphalt driveway meanders through the cemetery. This driveway will also find its way toward the exit of the cemetery, back onto US 29 [watch out for traffic!]

 

This large community/family cemetery, sometimes called Pleasant Hill Cemetery, is one of our county's oldest. At the time of visit, it was well-trimmed and very clean. It is thought that Cornelius Brown was the earliest burial (1810-1855). This cemetery is still active, and there are approximately 800 graves here, some very recent to 2006. There are numerous large conifers spotted throughout the site.

 

In the 1980s, John Crary of Bluff Springs, local mail carrier and dairy man, stated that there were no community records kept for this cemetery. However, the WFGS surveyed and published their report in 1985, as did local resident, Barbara Dean, in the Deep South Genealogical Journal of Mobile, AL.

 

Two brick columns stand as sentinels at the entrance, noting John W. Crary, 1814-1897, and Seana L. Crary, 1834-1906 on one; and Crary Memorial Cemetery on the other.

 

- Evan Strohl, September 2006