Wake County Genealogical Society Blog: graves removal and reinternment

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Potential Grave Relocation - Rhodes Cemetery in Wendell

Shared to our Facebook page by Elizabeth Godwin via the News and Observer listing:

Potential Grave Relocation

In the matter of the proposed removal and reinterment of approximately 2 graves at the Rhodes Cemetery, 3130 Buck Stage Trail, Wendell, Wake County, NC (PIN 1784796727).

The cemetery contains 1 inscribed grave marker for Lenard L. Rhodes (1831-1862) and one potential uninscribed grave marker.

The request for removal and reinterment is anticipated to be considered by the Wendell Town Board of Commissioners in fall 2025.

Anyone with information regarding the cemetery or the next-of-kin of the deceased, please contact Olivia Heckendorf at oheckendorf@rgaincorporated.com or 609-366-7101.

IPL0260506 Aug 7,14,21,28 2025 (Link) The location is shown below. Note that the ad lists location as Wendell, while Google maps calls it Zebulon. The cemetery is shown by the orange pin on the developed lot at Buck Stage Road. This location in southeast of the intersection of Buck Stage with Mashburn Road and south of Hwy 97.

click image for large version

Lenard L. Rhodes (1831-1862) was married to Ann Eliza Pace. They are shown on the 1860 US Census in Wake county, NC, Wake, North Easter Division at Eagle Rock Post Office. They are shown in proximity to other Rhodes cemeteries that were reported and/or surveyed in the Wake County Cemetery Survey. Those can be viewed at the image collection on our website. The cemetery for Lenard was not included in the original survey. They may be kin to these other Rhodes families.

Source

The Rhodes - Lee Cemetery shows William A and Berilla buried there. View the survey here.

The other Rhodes Cemetery listed was reported but not surveyed. View the scant detail we have for it here.

If anyone can place Lenard's descendants, please notify them of this upcoming relocation of their ancestors.

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Grave Relocation Alert - Near Apex NC - Jones/Barker/Collins

This was shared to our Facebook page this weekend. It originally appeared in the N&O and can be viewed at the link. Thanks to Elizabeth Godwin for sharing. More information on the two men with named graves follows.

News and Observer

Legal Notices, 17July2025

POTENTIAL GRAVE RELOCATION In the matter of the proposed removal and reinterment of approximately 16 graves at the Jones-Barker-Collins Cemetery located south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 1 and NC Highway 540 (PIN 0730865572) Apex, Wake County, NC. The cemetery contains two inscribed gravemarkers for B.Q. Barker (1846-1925) and B. H. Collins (1848-1912). There are also 9 uninscribed fieldstones and 5 possible grave depressions within the cemetery. The removal and reinterment request is anticipated to go before the Apex Town Council in late summer or early fall 2025. Anyone having information about these graves or the next-of-kin of the deceased, please contact Olivia Heckendorf at oheckendorf@rgaincorporated.com or 262-305-0055. IPL0248610 Jun 26,Jul 3,10,17 2025

https://eedition.newsobserver.com/shortcode/LMCRAL/edition/9ea6ed6d-a5ef-fe1c-57c3-a4f9ab805e93

I also checked the ncnotices.com listing and their records show that it has been published weekly since June 26, so time for action is running out. Their copy reads the same.

The land outlined in red is the property described above on the
southwest side of the intersection of US1 and 540 in Apex.
From Raleigh Imaps Pin 0730865572

Other findings for B. Q Barker 1846-1925 (aka Berrell, Burrell, Burwell Quinton Barker)**

There is a Death Certificate for Berrell Quinton Barker born March 5, 1845 and died Jan. 14, 1925. This fits the dates on the stone. His widow was Nancy B. Barker. His parents were Mark Barker and Gilly Olive, both of Wake County. (Link)

There is a marriage record for B. Q. and Nancy dated Dec. 22, 1870. Nancy's maiden name was Jones. Her parents were Alvin Jones and Dilly Jones. (Link)

There is a 1910 census records for Burrel that shows him living in Buckhorn township as expected. The listing includes his wife Nancy and 3 children. Sons Alvin and Alvious and daughter Lector Barker. (Link)

His obituary reads:

QUINTON BARKER DIES AT HIS HOME IN APEX Quinton Barker, 80-year-old Contederate veteran, died Wednesday morning at his home at Apex. Funeral service will held today at 2 o'clock from the old home place near Apex. Mr. Barker survived by two sisters, J. J. Edwards, of Cary, and Mrs. H. M. Holloman, of Apex, and by one brother, Dickerson Barker, of Durham. He leaves three sons, Alius, Robert and William Barker. (Note there were other children not listed in the obit.)

The News and Observer, Raleigh, North Carolina, Friday, January 16, 1925, P. 11.1

Other findings for B. H. Collins 1848-1912 (aka Benjamin and Benn H. Collins )**

There is a 1910 Census for Benn H Collins, 62 years of age living single as a head of household in Buckhorn in Wake County. His age fits with a birthdate in 1848. (Link)

There is an 1880 Census for Benjamin Collins age 30, living in the home of parents Eaton and Melinda. (Link)

There is an 1850 Census that shows B. H. age 0, living in the home of parents Eaton and Sally Collins in Western Division, Wake County as this area was called at the earlier time. (Link)

**These files were researched at Ancestry which requires a subscription. You can access from thelibrary if you have a current library card. You can also look for the same files at FamilySearch which is free to use after you create a profile.

I have also checked the suggested location in the notice against what we have in the Wake Cemetery Survey and this cemetery is not one that was surveyed in the past. A note will be added to our files. This cemetery is located halfway between Apex and Holly Springs.

It does not match any of the cemeteries we have in the Survey with the associated names of Barker, Collins or Jones, but there are quite a few family cemeteries located along the Friendship Road road heading to New Hill. There is also a cemetery with those names listed near the Ebenezer Church Recreation Area at Jordan Lake. Those groups may be kin to the group mentioned here.

Links to those possibly affiliated families' cemeteries are in the respective townships in the Wake County Cemetery Survey c. 1978 at our website -

Barker in Buckhorn twp - Barker, and Barker, Bright, & Lienau

Barker in Holly Springs at Cross Cemetery

Collins in Buckhorn

Jones in Buckhorn at Collins (same as above)

Jones in Holly Springs at these locations- Jones, Alford, Holland, Hunter, Pope, Turner, Turner Community, Utley

There may be other related folks in the larger local cemeteries not included on our surname list. To research the above follow these steps -

Choose the township in the left side bar and click the hyperlinked noted that were submitted when the survey was taken.

Look for the New Index in each township to get a spreadsheet that includes GPS Coordinates for the Cemeteries mentioned above.

If you are related to these people or know descendants of these families, please share so they can act before the cemetery is moved.

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