I’ve long wanted to visit this cemetery, which now lies in woods behind a large property on Lamm Road. Shout-out to Gary Howard for guiding me to it recently. The children and grandchildren of Zealous and Rhoda Eatmon Howard and their related families established several cemeteries in western Wilson County in the wedge between modern-day U.S. Highway 64 and N.C. Highway 58 in Taylor township. This one may be the largest.
Kudos to the Blackmon/Blackwell family, who, over the past couple of years, have begun the arduous task of clearing the quarter-acre plot. Alisha Cordell and others were able to secure permission to access the cemetery from the current owner — access that had been denied for decades earlier.
Brother Mr. S. Ivey Blackmon
Ivey Blackwell died 16 September 1939 in Spring Hope, Mannings township Nash County, N.C. Per his death certificate, he was born 4 March 1918 in Nash County to John Blackwell and Bettie Evans, both of Wilson County; was single; was a farmer; and was buried in High cemetery. [Was High another name for this cemetery?]
This concrete headstone and the two that follow were crafted by the same person, and probably at the same time. All exhibit blocky capital lettering with tiny serifs (and backwards N’s) and incised lines under each row of letters. The Blackwells were a free family of color in the area of what is now Wilson County as early as the 1840s. This branch of the family, however, is now known as Blackmon.
Father Mr. John Blackmon
John Blackwell died 6 June 1940 in Spring Hope, Mannings township, Nash County. Per his death certificate, he was born in 1874 in Wilson County to Albert Blackwell and Classie Locus; was married to Bettie Blackwell; and was buried in Horne’s Church cemetery. [Horne’s Methodist Church is a historically white church in Nash County about two miles north of Howard Cemetery as the crow flies. It does not, to my knowledge, have its own cemetery. (However, it is very near another cemetery with ties to some of the people buried here.)
Mother Mrs. Bettie Blackmon
Deal Howard
Deal Howard died 6 December 1939 in Oldfields township, Wilson County. Per his death certificate, he was born 4 November 1861 in Wilson County to Deal Howard and Rhodie Howard; was a widower; was a farmer; and was buried in Wilson County. Herman Howard was informant.
Anonymous.
Daughter Gladys Blackwell Born Feb. 9, 1931 Died Oct. 27 1961 At Rest
Gladys Blackwell died 27 October 1961 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 9 February 1931 in Nash County to Hattie Blackwell; lived in Bailey, Nash County; and was buried in Howard Cemetery.
This, of course, is a Clarence B. Best-carved headstone. (How odd that the 3 in 1931 is either backward or upside down.)
Mother Margaret Blackwell Born Sept. 11, 1879 Died Dec. 7, 1961 At rest
Margaret Blackwell died 7 December 1961 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 11 September 1889 in Wilson County to Ivy Evans and Mary Lyles; and was buried in Howard Cemetery. Mattie Blackwell was informant.
Also a Clarence Best.
Cora Lee Howard Dau. of Hilliard & Cora Ellis Born Nov. 15, 1900 Died Oct. 13, 1918 Gone but not forgotten
Cora Lee Howard died 13 October 1918 in Taylor township, Wilson County. Per her death certificate, she was 18 years old; married; and was the daughter of Hilliard Ellis and Cora Williams. M.S. Gilliam was the attending physician.
Albert Howard North Carolina PVT 329 Service Bn QMC World War I May 16 1892 August 3 1956
Albert Howard died 3 August 1956 in Taylors township. Per his death certificate, he was born 2 February 1890 in Wilson County to Dill Howard and Nancy Black; was married to Ida Howard; was a farm laborer; was a World War I veteran; and was buried in Howard cemetery, Wilson County.
Sally Ann Blackwell Oct 17, 1889 June 10, 1920
Sallie Ann Blackwell died 10 June 1920 in Taylors township, Wilson County. Per her death certificate, she was born in 1882 in Wilson County to Dora Locus and was married. Cause of death: “gunshot wound, shot accidentally.”
Fieldstone marker.
Etta Wife of Robert Lucas Jan. 5, 1890 Aug. 31, 1960 Gone But Not Forgotten
Etta Lucas died 31 August 1960 in Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 1 January 1897 in Wilson County in Deal Howard and Nancy Blackmond; was married to Robert Lucas; and was buried in Howard Cemetery.
Another Clarence Best.
Hurlean Blackwell 6 1932 At Rest
Photos by Lisa Y. Henderson, October 2025.
The Blackwell name has taken on several variations: Blackwell, Blackmon, Blackman, and Blackmond. It erroneously was Blackwill in the Wilson newspaper when Bettie got ill, just prior to her death. Ivey and John passed just a couple/few years later. John and Bettie are buried at the Howard cemetery along with their sons, Roy Blackwell and twins, Albert Blackmon and Ivey Blackmon. Albert and Ivey are side by side, though Albert Blackmon does not have a headstone. Roy might have been the last one buried there about 1980.
John Blackmon is the cousin of Nancy Blackwell (also Nancy Black), who married Deal Howard.
You might notice that the Blackmon/Blackwell family is on one side (back) and the Howards are facing the street (front); however, Deal is buried on the Blackwell side.
Alisha Cordell led the effort to clean this cemetery and got approval from the land owner with help from Hannah Camarena of the Wilson Harald. The family had been forbidden to visit the cemetery for more than 40 years. Upon the death of Mr. Harmony, his widow granted Alisha access and permission for the clean up. Several Blackmon family members did this massive cleanup (Alisha Cordell and her daughter, Nina Martinez, son-in-law Nakoma Maiden, and grandchildren Tehya Alvarez and Cristian Mercado), cousins Reverend Dr Cynthia Blackman Barfield, Carla Burnette, Brad Burnette, William (Buster) Blackmon, Wilbert Blackmon, Gary Howard, and several friends including Leon Edwards). The cleanup took several days.
I have several before and after photos.
Thank you, Alisha!! I will update the post. You and your family have done beautiful work at this cemetery. Securing permission from the owner of the surrounding land is often an insurmountable task, and I’m glad you all were able to do that.