Tombstone Tuesday ~ Jefferson and Sabra Jane (Smoak) Carter

While in Charleston last week I decided to see what I could find at the cemeteries where I knew some of my Carter's are buried. My first stop was Bethany Cemetery located at 10 Cunnington Street. As it happens, it is right in front of the lovely Magnolia Cemetery which is on Huguenin Avenue however there is entrance from Cunnington Street.

I started my cemetery search with Jefferson C. Carter and his second wife, Sabra Jane Smoak. Jefferson is my biological great grandfather. Jefferson and Sabra were married between 1900 and before 27 April 1910, which is the date of the 1910 US Census. Jefferson and Sabra are listed as married on this census.

I had little trouble in finding Bethany Cemetery the office was easy to locate. I went into the office and asked the gentleman inside if he could point me in the right direction for the plot of Mr. Jefferson C. and Sabra Jane (Smoak) Carter. He went to a small closet full of file cabinets and found a burial card for Jefferson.

 Dawn Kogutkiewicz, Personal collection

As you can see the burial card has a lot of information. The place of death, date of death, cause of death and date of burial all match his death certificate. It also lists his name, his gender, race and age. It also gives the name of the funeral home, the health officer, the superintendent as well as the section in which Jefferson and Sabra are buried and the lot number. I didn't think to ask for Sabra's card but it is on my list for the next trip!

Next the gentleman took me to a set of maps (the size of blueprints) and flipped through them until he found the one with Jefferson and Sabra. Below is a picture of the map.

 Dawn Kogutkiewicz, Personal collection

As you can see, the caretaker is pointing at the spot where Jefferson and Sabra are buried. He was kind enough to take me straight there and told me that the easiest way to remember where they are is that they are buried next to the only dirt road in the cemetery! As it turns out, Jefferson and Sabra are in a perpetual care plot that is fairly large for just 2 people. However, there is another couple buried in the plot, James Daniel and his wife Nina Hendricks Carter. I believe that James is the son of Jefferson and Sabra but I am still working to confirm the connection between them.

 Dawn Kogutkiewicz, Personal collection

Above is a close up of the tombstone for Jefferson and Sabra complete with dates. Oddly enough across the way from my great grandparents is another family I am connected to as well but I will save that for another Tombstone Tuesday.