 As we began to look at other graves in the cemetery, we started to notice that several of the family names were the same as some of Green Berry Waldrop friends and cohorts in Harris County Ga. After looking back trough some of the records on the laptop, it seems that there was a pattern here. Out of the group of men that had came to Muscogee County, Ga. in the early 1820 to organize Baptist Churches, most had moved on to north Mississippi. They moved into seceded Indian Lands and again organized Baptist Churches in this new land. It took three ordained ministers to meet with the church body to constitute it into the Baptist Association or ordain new a Pastor. They moved around a large area setting up new churches and convened all three men together when the church was large enough to constitute in the Association. They even preached in each church until a Pastor was found or a member wanted to go into preaching to word of God.
 After leaving the grave yard and heading back to Cold Water, I decided on a whim to turn and drive to Independence, Mississippi, 7 miles east. We got to a crossroads and spotted a Jersey Jacks hot dog stand parked on the roadside. Being hungry stopped to get a few dogs. While eating I spot on the hill a large cemetery and a steeple across the road, we drove there to find a large Baptist Church, Mt. Zion. We go to the parsonage to ask about the age and history of the church. The pastor had been there only 4 yrs. and didn’t know the history ,but knew it was 175 years old. He sent us down the road to an older couples house, saying if any one knows they will. They didn’t remember much but came up with a history of the church that was done in 1965 for it’s program book on the 120th anniversary It told of a one room building that served as a school five days a week and the church on Sunday. The first page told of Rev. Green Berry Waldrop organizing the church and preaching there 1847 to 1853; tears came to Sandra’s eyes as she told the couple of her search for her Gr Gr Grand Father Grave and learned of his works as a man of God. Sandra ask could she copy the book for her records; the lady said no! She then told Sandra to keep the book as she had another.
It was a fruitful trip on the heals of a devastating hurricane in Mississippi. Sandra met two more relatives, met many new friends, but the hunt is not over as she has learned of Wheatly, Arkansas which like Tate Co., use to be part of Desoto Co. but was taken in when Arkansas became a state; because it was on the other side of the Mississippi River. Rev. Green Berry Waldrop worked there too. There is a string of Hills across these counties call Georgia Ridge, because of all the Georgians that moved there. We are going Home! |
