Funds raised to restore cemetery near Sasser
David Shivers
SASSER — Two long-neglected cemeteries in south Terrell County are expected to soon get restoration, thanks to fundraising efforts by the Old Herod Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, donations from the Terrell County Historic Preservation Society, Mary Brantley UDC Chapter No. 446, and numerous donations from private citizens.
The cemeteries are the only remaining visible reminders of the village of Chickasawhatchee, which was located about 2.5 miles west of present-day Sasser on Sasser-Herod Road, past its intersection with Brim Road. The once-thriving community preceded the establishment of Terrell County in 1856.
A yard sale sponsored by Old Herod DAR was held in Sasser on October 3 to raise money to restore the cemeteries. According to Old Herod DAR chapter Vice Regent and Historic Preservation Chair Cherry Howell of Sasser, plans are to clean up the overgrown burial tracts and map them so people can locate specific grave plots.
Howell was unsure of how many total graves are on the two sites but estimated that there are more than 100 involved. The cemeteries were for Chickasawhatchee Methodist Church and Chickasawhatchee Village Baptist Church. The Terrell County Historic Preservation Society’s ongoing cemetery project has recorded 71 graves in the Methodist graveyard and 21 for the Baptist site. Names and birth and death dates, if available, are also listed on the historic society’s website.
Initial cleanup efforts began in the spring. A date for further cleanup hasn’t been set, but Howell said it will most likely be some time after colder weather sets in, to decrease the chances of encounters with stinging insects and snakes.
Anyone would wants to volunteer to help clean the sites should contact Cherry Howell, 229-698-5391, or email [email protected]. If you would like to make a donation, checks may be sent to Old Herod Chapter NSDAR, Attn: Mrs. Joyce Barfield, Treasurer, 6700 Herod Hwy., Dawson, GA 38942-4610. Donors should write on the check “For Cemetery Project”.
Related Articles
Albany police investigate suspicious Sunday death
A 21-year-old Turner Job Corps student who was found unresponsive on Sunday evening was later pronounced dead at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. The death is under investigation.
Unexplained checks, missing records, benefit errors surface in Terrell schools audit
A payroll performance review commissioned by the Terrell County School System found widespread documentation deficiencies, unexplained payroll discrepancies, inconsistent employee benefit deductions and weaknesses in internal controls, while also crediting district leadership for taking steps to improve oversight after significant staff turnover.
Terrell schools project $1.36 million revenue decline in proposed FY ’27 budget
The Terrell County Board of Education is scheduled to receive Superintendent Dr. Shereca R. Harvey’s monthly report and review budget information during its regular meeting at 7 p.m. tonight, Monday, June 22, with agenda materials outlining the district’s current financial position, fiscal year 2027 projections, a new grant award, state policy updates and enrollment trends.
