Forward from Charles and Marjorie Lewis
In our 10 plus years of searching for further information concerning some of my people who were born in Colquitt County, Georgia and surrounding counties, we were told, "Oh, they are buried at Sardis Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery." Well, being born and raised in Colquitt County and at one time, when I was very young, lived up the road from Sardis and have at times taken refuge under the OLD church from a thunderstorm or two, I knew the directions to take on our next trip to Moultrie. After explaining in great detail to my wife, all my memories of Sardis and the surrounding areas, you can't imagine the surprise we had when we traveled out Berlin Highway and turned the corner on Sardis Church Road and the old church was gone, but across the street a new church had been erected. I can still picture the old church building in my mind, as it once stood and served as a meeting place for its members.
That trip we located some of the relatives that we were searching for and gathered information on several others we thought might be of use later. Well, as you know when you get new information, in genealogy, it just leads you to all kinds of new kin folks.
Our trip was short and when we got back home and made a few phone calls, you guessed it, "Oh, they are buried at Sardis". After several trips like this and several visits to Sardis gathering more information, my wife and I decided the next trip to Moultrie we would just take a tape recorder and list all marked graves that could be identified because we could not locate where a survey had been done in any of the libraries in the area. Little did we know!!!
Our next trip to Moultrie we were prepared to tape and bring the information back home for our use. But, as we were working our way through the cemetery, starting at one of the big oak trees moving west, a man stopped and asked if he could be of assistance. There we were in a cemetery, caught red handed with a tape recorder, just walking around taping. After introducing ourselves and finding out we are kin in a round-about way, he let it be known to us that he would like a copy for his church records. Yes was the answer! Mr. Homer Eldridge, Clerk for Sardis had caught us!!!
After returning home, my wife finally got all the information into the computer and we sent a rough copy for Mr. Eldridge to go back and verify some questionable areas. Next thing we knew, we opened the February 29, 1996 edition of The Observer and on page 4A we found the following:
Please be responsible
Dear editor:
This letter may be of interest to many people in Colquitt County and mostly to those in the community of Berlin. There are many graves in the Sardis Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery that have no markings whatsoever, and I personally think this is a disgrace to the memory of our loved ones.
We have tried to maintain our cemetery to the best of our ability in spite of those that continue to throw trash in and around the cemetery. We have some people who visit and care for the graves of their loved ones on systematic basis and then there are those who bury their people and not go back for a long time and could care less about their condition or upkeep.
Charles and Marjorie Lewis of Punta Gorda, Fla., have made a list of the graves in Sardis Cemetery and have mailed me copy to annotate and/or update it to the best of my ability and knowledge. I have been associated with this cemetery for many years and have had a small contribution in maintaining it to the current condition. There are graves that date back to the 1830s. Sardis Church was constituted in July 1834 and has had continuous meetings there until the present.
Now I need the help of anyone who knows about any grave that is not marked with a name or any that do not have a slab or headstone. Some of the graves were marked with those temporary markers and now the names and dates are scattered around the grave or can't be found. If you have any information concerning a grave at Sardis Cemetery, you may write me at 2302 Sardis Church Rd., Moultrie, Ga., 31768 or call 324-3237 and pass any information along to me, and I will send it along with all the information that I have. Once completed, the Lewis's plan to present a copy of the finished product to the Moultrie library.
There is a committee for this cemetery and they assign the grave plots and nobody is to mark any area unless otherwise told to do so.
We need your help in keeping your cemetery clean and updated in every way.
Homer J. Eldridge
Moultrie
Thanks to him, he verified some information, kept us updated on new burials, sent us a copy of who were members at the time of their deaths, also past pastors, clerks, and deacons, and also a list of the membership. You will note that the records between 1845 and 1894 have been lost.
We know we did not locate all the unmarked graves, but without special equipment (i.e., metal detectors, etc.) I am sure some will never be located because those that knew where a certain grave is located are now in graves themselves. We have found out, since the original survey, the Clayton girl and four Browning children are buried there, location not known. We all understand the many hardships these early settlers and people had as they made a living and raised families, some could not afford headstones or markers, some destroyed by people, some just deteriorated with time.
In the History of Colquitt County by W. A. Covington, printed in 1937, reprinted in 1980, page 187, he states, "a very large graveyard is maintained at this church house. Possibly two hundred marked graves. A larger number appears to be unmarked". Margie and I located 199+ unmarked graves. I am sure we did not locate all the unmarked graves, for God, time, and mother nature has a knack of healing her wounds. The amount of named graves at this time is 1174. It is our hope and sincere wish that this list will be kept up to date, and all burials will list the obituary from the newspaper.
We give and dedicate this work to Sardis Primitive Baptist Church; To those who have passed before us; to those whose graves could not be recognized; and especially to a little Clayton girl that I remember, who drowned in a well, that grave is unmarked and not located. Also to a very special person, one who has put up with our visits, some times announced and many more times unannounced, traveled with us to many cemeteries, gave us a place for rest and refreshment, late suppers, etc., and you just name it, Mrs. James Lee Lewis. Aunt Maggie, THANK YOU!!
This survey is Sardis Church's to do with, whatever they may. If we had our wish it would be that if anyone wanted a copy of this record, then Sardis would charge a fee and those monies be used for the upkeep of the cemetery. We have asked Mr. Homer Eldridge if we could place this in several of the genealogical libraries we have had the pleasure to utilize, the Odom Library, Mountrie, GA; the Huxford Library, Homerville, GA; the Polk County Genealogical Library, Bartow, FL; and to several other people that we would like to have copies.
Thank you Mr. Eldridge for stopping that day. Thank you for putting up with our calling at all hours of the night, and thanks to you and Mrs. Rice for providing the brief about Sardis Church, for without it, we feel this would not be as complete as it is. Thank you Jeanette Wood for your beautiful rendition of the Old Sardis Primitive Baptist Church which is on the front.
If we have left anyone out or made any mistakes in this work please accept our apology, it was not intentional. When you find a mistake or wish to add information concerning a particular grave, please drop us a line at: Charles & Marjorie Lewis, 6386 Richard Road, Punta Gorda, FL 33982 or give the information to Mr. Home Eldridge of Berlin, GA. It would be our pleasure to revise this book, especially if you have information on an unmarked or unreadable grave. Mistakes we are sure you will find, please let us know. This is our first attempt at compiling information for other peoples use and benefit. We sincerely hope it will benefit someone in their search for long lost relatives. At the time of this printing we did not index the additional information (i.e., father of, mother of, survivors include, etc.).
Thank you Mr. Homer Eldridge and Mrs. Rice, for your assistance in putting this record together. Thanks to Margie, my wife, for making the many trips to Georgia, different libraries and such, gathering information on my family. Thank you Margie!!!
To those at rest in Sardis Church Cemetery, Matthew 25-21:
"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord."
Charles T. Lewis
Marjorie A. Lewis
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