Graveyard Tour – Lewisville Baptist Church

The Next Stop on the Tour

The fourth of six stops on the 2009 Historic Graveyard Tour that was held on May 2, 2009 in Lewisville took us to the graveyard at Lewisville Baptist Church. (Click to read the previous post on the Historic Graveyard Tour at Panther Creek Plantation.)

Although the graveyard at Lewisville Baptist Church is not as old as some of the other graveyards on the tour, such as the Shiloh Lutheran Church and the Concord United Methodist Church graveyards, it nevertheless holds historic significance.

Leading this segment of the graveyard tour was Mary Alice Warren, a member of Lewisville Baptist Church. Mary Alice concentrated her brief talk on the center portion of the graveyard that includes the gravestones of Lewisville’s founder, Lewis Laugenour, and his wife, Betty.

For more INFO, PHOTOS and AUDIO related to the LEWISVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH GRAVEYARD, please continue to the NEXT SECTION.
CLICK for more on the Lewisville Baptist Church Graveyard

Lewisville Honors Chris Paul

Hometown Pride

Yesterday the Town of Lewisville honored one of its own, Chris Paul, with a special ceremony to unveil a plaque at Shallowford Square honoring Chris as a gold medalist on the 2008 Olympics USA Basketball Team.

Following the invocation given by Rev. Louis Hunter, Jr., young representatives of Lewisville Elementary School’s third-grade classes presented Chris with a gift.

On and Off the Court

Lewisville’s Mayor Dan Pugh, who knew Chris when he was a Pop Warner football player, reminisced about Chris’ athleticism and also highlighted a conversation he once had with Chris’ grandfather. Although appreciative of Chris’ athletic talent, his grandfather emphasized that his greatest prayer for Chris was that he would be a man of integrity.

Mayor Pugh also recited a long list of Chris’ achievements as an athlete, from his days as a high school basketball player, to his ACC/Wake Forest basketball days, and his present role as an NBA player with the New Orleans Hornets.

Chris’ high school principal, Kurt Telford of West Forsyth High School, shared his recollections of Chris as a student who led by example and humility, both on and off the basketball court.

Photo Gallery and Audio

Please continue to the NEXT SECTION for more PHOTOS and AUDIO of the ceremony honoring Chris Paul. CLICK for more PHOTOS and AUDIO of the Chris Paul ceremony

Historic Graveyard Tour – Panther Creek

Williams Family Graveyard

The third of six stops on the 2009 Historic Graveyard Tour that was held on May 2, 2009 in Lewisville, North Carolina took us to the Williams Family Graveyard located on the (private) property of the historic Panther Creek Plantation on Double Springs Road. (Click to read the previous post on the Historic Graveyard Tour at Double Springs AME Zion Church.)

Leading our group on this portion of the tour was the owner of the property, Lanier Williams, who is 88 years old. In 1766 his great-great-grandfather, Joseph Williams, purchased several thousand acres spanning both sides of the Yadkin River and established what came to be known as Panther Creek Plantation.

Mr. Williams walked us through the graveyard, pointing out the graves of various relatives and telling us a little about them. For instance, his great-great-grandfather distinguished himself as an Indian fighter and a Revolutionary War colonel. And one of Joseph Williams’ sons, Lewis James Williams, served in both the N.C. Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives.

The oldest grave in the Williams cemetery is Joseph Williams’ — he was born in 1748 and died in 1827. One unusual grave has a pair of little boots and socks carved out of the top of the gravestone, commemorating the tragic death of two-year-old Emily Kerr, who died in a fire.

Photos, Audio and Additional Information

Check out the links below to the PHOTO GALLERY (which includes photos of the grounds, as well as of the graveyard) and the 5-minute MP3 RECORDING of Lanier Williams.

For ADDITIONAL INFORMATION on the Williams family, you might want to read Williams: 300 Years of Leadership in America, A History of the Descendants of John Williams of Llangollen, Wales, published in 1997. I suggest checking with the Lewisville Library or the Lewisville Historical Society to see if either of them has a copy of this book, which I believe is now out of print.

Photo Gallery: Panther Creek Plantation and Graveyard Photo Gallery
Audio: Historical Intro – Panther Creek Plantation and Graveyard Recording (MP3, 5 MIN.)

If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy reading about the other local historic graveyards featured on this website.

Double Springs Memorial Celebration

Remembering, Honoring, Celebrating

On this Memorial Day weekend, a memorial celebration service was held at the site of the historic Double Springs AME Zion Church in Lewisville, North Carolina. Friends, family and a few remaining former members gathered at the church’s graveyard this past Saturday, May 23, 2009 to remember, honor and celebrate.

They remembered those who had gone before them in the founding of the church and in the life of the church until its final service in 1982. And they recounted the efforts that began over ten years ago to clean up, repair and improve the graveyard. (See the previous post, Graveyard Tour – Double Springs AME Zion, for additional coverage of the church’s history and graveyard renovation efforts.)

They honored the remaining living members of the church. And they celebrated with song, fellowship and good food.

To access the PHOTO GALLERY, as well as to hear a 10-MINUTE AUDIO RECORDING of the service highlights, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more on the Double Springs Memorial Celebration

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