Utoy Cemetery Association, Inc.
NewsletterVolume 4, Issue 01
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Mrs. Martha Peace,Pres.
Mr. T.J. White, V.P
Mr. Malcolm McDuffie, V.P
Ms. Deborah McDuffie, Secretary
Mr. C.W. Strickland, Treasurer
Mr. Joseph P. Suttles, Chairman,
Board of Advisors
A private, tax-exempt
non-profit
dedicated to maintaining,
restoring and preserving
Atlanta’s oldest cemetery
Founded in 1816
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P. O. Box 91267, East Point, GA 30364-1267
Physical address: 1465 Cahaba Drive, SW, Atlanta, GA 30311
Telephone: 770-925-4299
Webpage:
Facebook page: Utoy Cemetery Association Inc
September, 2014
WELCOME:
This is the 2014 annual issue of our Newsletter. We hope you find it informative and, as always, invite your suggestions and contributions to its content.
FROM MARTHA PEACE-PRESIDENT:
I am very glad to report that we have made progress in several areas this past year. In fact, this has been an amazing year for us due to several things not the least of which were the completion of Phase 1 of the Ground Penetrating Radar Project and the 150th anniversary celebration of the Civil War Battle of Utoy Creek.
The Ground Penetrating Radar Project began with Phase 1 and more than 150 unmarked graves were discovered! It was fascinating to watch Mr. Len Strozier cover most of the grounds and mark graves with stainless steel pins and little orange flags. He was especially impressed with the “care” some of the original caretakers of the cemetery took to place some of the bodies in an organized straight line. That is unusual for a cemetery as old as ours. We are so glad to be able to honor almost all of those buried there, even if we do not know their names.
Because this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Utoy Creek and the Battle of Atlanta, we held a Utoy Cemetery Open House on August 2. Terry White, our Vice-President and Historian, presented a very interesting perspective of the battle from families that lived between the competing armies. They were “holed up” in an underground bunker they had dug for that purpose. One particularly interesting fact about that battle is the Confederates won, but the Federal government called it merely a “skirmish” to minimize the negative impact on President Lincoln’s upcoming reelection.
Another outstanding accomplishment this past year is Malcolm McDuffie’s completion of the “Burial Procedures and Rules and Regulations” and the “Accounting Procedures and Internal Controls” documents. Malcolm is our Vice-President in charge of operations. He spent untold hours researching and working on these procedures. Because of Malcolm’s extraordinary effort, we now have clear guidelines for how to proceed with future burials, along with the accounting and internal controls procedures.
As in previous years, we participated in Atlanta’s Phoenix Flies event with cemetery tours presented by Terry White. Terry also was interviewed on the Bartow Ancestors radio program on May 15.
I want to personally thank everyone who contributed to the Phase 1 Ground Penetrating Radar project. We have the final GPS Collection and Mapping Phase to go, and we have already begun raising funds. This is an exciting time for us, and I look forward to working with the cemetery board and Association this next year.
ELECTION OF 2014 CORPORATE DIRECTORS
The following 2014 Corporate Directors were elected at the April 14th, 2014 Business Meeting:
PRESIDENT: Martha Peace
VICE PRESIDENT-HISTORIAN: Terry White
VICE PRESIDENT-OPERATIONS: Malcolm McDuffie
TREASURER: Charles Strickland
SECRETERY: Deborah McDuffie
CEMETERY GROUNDS MAINTENANCE UPDATES:
The Association wishes to express our gratitude to Chris Wilson, Debbie McDuffie, and Malcolm McDuffie for their hard work in grounds maintenance. Other volunteers included Martha Peace, her grandson, Annette Satterfield, Gordon Draves and Terry White. And a special thank you to two anonymous donors that contributed $1,250 each towards the cost of cutting up, loading and hauling of one newly fallen tree and twodiseased trees. Additionally, $3,475 was donated by eight donors this year towards the Ground Penetrating Radar Survey and Marking Phase I Project. Our thanks also go to another anonymous donor that made a sizable donation for grounds maintenance.
We had to prepare the grounds for the March, 2014 Phoenix Flies event. Removal of the Fall Leaves was a huge undertaking. The Association thanks the Community Service workers that helped us over the January 25th and March 1st weekends in this effort.Again, theycompletely filled the large trench near the Confederate Unknown Graves.
Following are pictures taken on April 6th, after the March Phoenix Flies event:
On June 13th, a Friday with a Full Moon, another large oak tree fell and damaged the Cahaba Drive fence plus knocked out power in the neighborhood.
In spite of the fallen tree, Deborah McDuffie, Chris Wilson and Malcolm McDuffie worked 4 1/2 hours on Friday June 13th preparing the grounds for the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Phase I survey and unmarked grave location and marking project.
away
Also, beginning in June, the Bryant's family had put weed killer on both family plots; rebuilt the fallen brick wall, put down a weed barrier and new pea gravel and placed new flowers in one plot. These improvements are very much appreciated. Thank you for caring.
On June 16th and 17th,Lyn Strozier, of Omega Mapping Services, performed the Ground Penetrating Radar Survey (GPR) and Marking Phase I Project of approximately 2.5 of the 3.5 acre Utoy Cemetery. The final price for GPR and Marking Phase I was $4,610.77, including 150 stainless steel pins and washers, to mark the newly located unmarked graves.
Also, on June 16th, Martha Peace, her grandson, Deborah and Malcolm McDuffie worked on the grounds. The following photos show the result of this work and some of the 150 newly marked gravesites with little orange flags in the center of the head of each grave, shown above and below:
On July 7th, the tree that fell on June 13th, along with two large, diseased oak trees were cut down and removed for a total cost of $2,500:
MAJOR 2014 EVENTS:
March 8th and 22nd, 2014 PHOENIX FLIES EVENTS
Terry White conducted two, 2-hour lectures each Saturday on “Atlanta’s Beginnings,the Civil War Battle of Utoy Creek, & the Utoy Church and Cemetery” at the Utoy Cemetery, on March 8th, 2014, at10 am1 pm, and March 22nd, at 10 am1 pm. Attendance was as follows:
DATE / HOUR / NBR. ATTENDING3/8/2014 / 10:00 AM / 24
3/8/2014 / 1:00 PM / 15
3/22/2014 / 10:00 AM / 11
3/22/2014 / 1:00 PM / 6
TOTAL / 56
May 15thRadio Programme “Bartow Ancestors”
On Thursday, May 15th, at 7:00pm - 8:00pm, Terry White appeared on the Bartow Ancestors (Facebook website: program, located at AM radio station WXYC, 1270 on your dial. Terry discussed Atlanta's Historic Utoy Cemetery and promoted fund-raising to support the ground-penetrating radar and surveying/mapping of the cemetery. A video recording of this program can be viewed on YouTube at:
August 2nd, 2014"Utoy Cemetery Open House" and "Utoy Creek Battlefield Anniversary"
In conjunction with the 150th anniversary of the August 4-7, 1864 Civil War Battle of Utoy Creek, the Utoy Cemetery Association, Inc. conducted an August 2nd, 2014 10:00 am Open House, with refreshments and snacks. This was followed by a one hour lecture, starting at 10:30, given by Terry White on “The Civil War Battle of Utoy Creek and the Utoy Church and Cemetery” at the Utoy Cemetery.
FUTURE EVENTS:
Monday October 13th, 2014 Business Meeting:
The next Business Meeting will be held on MondayOctober 13th, 2014 at the East Point Historical Society, with the meeting starting at 7:00 PM.
February 7th and 14th, 2015 Work Days Planned:
Two major work days are planned on Saturday February 7th and 14th, 2015, starting at 9 am until around 2 pm, in preparation for the March 7th and 21st Phoenix Flies participation (see below). Removal of the fall leaves and grounds clean-up will require a major effort due to the volume of leaves, like we have done for the last three years. To volunteer, please contact Malcolm McDuffie at 770-925-4299.
Saturday March 7th, 2015, and Saturday, March 21st, 2015“Phoenix Flies 2015Event: Terry White will conduct two, 2-hour lectures each Saturday on “Atlanta’s Beginnings,the Civil War Battle of Utoy Creek, & the Utoy Church and Cemetery” at the Utoy Cemetery, on March 7th, 2015, at10 am1 pm, and March 21st, at 10 am1 pm.
Monday April 13th, 2015 Business Meeting:
The next regular business meeting will be held on Monday, April 13th, 2015 at the East Point Historical Society, with the meeting starting at 7:00 PM.
NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES APPLICATION:
On September 17th, Ms. Stephanie Cherry-Farmer, National Register & Survey Program Manager, provided her assurance that our Application for Inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places will be submitted by the end of 2014. We were approved for the Georgia Registry on June 20th, 2011, over three (3) years ago.
GOFUNDME.COM ACCOUNT ESTABLISHED:
Terry White established a GOFUNDME.COMAccount on August 17thfor raising up to $5,000 to complete the final GPS Collection and Mapping Phase. Please go to the following link to make a contribution:
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DUES, “FRIENDS OF UTOY” CONTRIBUTIONS, AND DONATIONS:
Membership dues are payable January, 2015 and delinquent March 31st, 2015. See below for renewal information. We would appreciate your submitting your Annual Dues as soon as possible. “Friends of Utoy Cemetery” can also make $25 annual contributions to assist us in our efforts. Donations are accepted and appreciated anytime of the year. Thank You!
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UTOY CEMETERY ASSOCIATION, INC.
MEMBERS & FRIENDS RENEWAL
And DONATIONS
Name: ______
Name: ______
Address: ______
City: ______State: ___ Zip code: ______
Home Phone: ______
Cell Phone: ______
Email Address: ______
Ancestor Buried at Utoy Cemetery: ______
Individual $25; Individual + Spouse $50; Student $10
Corporate-10 Employees or less $50.00; Corporate-11 Employees or more $75.00
Make check(s) payable and mail to:
Utoy Cemetery Association, Inc.
Charles Strickland-Treasurer
PO Box 91267
East Point, GA 30364-1267
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