Unnamed Cemetery 2, New Hope Community

Submitted by Shelly Belk, Leake Co., MS

I have stumbled upon a family graveyard in the middle of the woods in Kemper County, on leased deer hunting land while my family and I were there for a week. What remains of the old house is a shell, but beautiful just the same. I only saw 2 graves, but I'm sure there's more hidden under the weeds. This is in the New Hope Community. The old home spot sits at the very end of a country road, dead end. I need to get exact directions to give to you, but the graves are SO old. Also, photos of what I found are below. Here is what I found:

Lemuel G. Steele
1803 - 1865

Sarah (wife of Lemuel)
1800 - 18 August 1845

Sarah has a very large above ground tombstone that is shaped like the ones you find in Louisiana, it is hollow and crumbling with a very long inscription on it. Also, Lemuel's grave has the symbol of a mason on it. The old rod iron cemetery gate only has 1 side still standing. It is a sight to behold.

According to some searching I've done on this family, Lemuel G. Steele may have married again after death of his first wife. According to graves stones at the Blackwater Baptist Church Cemetery in Kemper Co, MS, it list a James P. Steele, b. April 11, 1850, d. Feb. 13, 1897, "Son of Lemuel G. & Nancy A. Steele". And it list a "Nancy C. Steele", wife of L.G. Steele, b. Nov. 3, 1823, d. Apr. 11, 1907. This has to be the same family.

I'd appreciate it if you would post this on your Kemper County Genweb site. I'm sure someone is searching for this family. I'm almost sure this man was related to Abner Alexander Steele of Kemper Co., MS.