The grave of John Alexander Holley, the only tall Woodman of the World monument we spied in this large cemetery today.
The marker reads as follows:
WOW
JOHN A. HOLLEY
Apr. 24, 1868
Feb. 22, 1919
Camp No. 1877
Gone but not forgotten
HOLLEY"
We have been unable to find out much more about him, but there is a detailed obituary about his wife available on the Find A Grave website: (
visit link)
"Funeral Services At New York
Funeral services for Mrs. Ollie C. Holley, who died Wednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock at her home in New York community, were held last Tursday at 4 o'clock at the New York Baptist Church. The services were conducted by the Rev. E. M. Johnson, Baptist Minister of Athens, the Rev. S. L. Culwell, pastor of the First Methodist Church of Athens and the Rev. G. W. Paschall, pastor of the New York Baptist Church. Burial was in the New York Cemetery. Pallbearers were John Robert Forester, Dennis Sholars, Mr. Bostick, Jim Bob Gauntt, Calvin Tindel and Raymond Godwin.
Mrs. Holley was born on November 1, 1873, and was married to the late J. A. Holley on October 1, 1893. Eleven children were born to that union, eight of whom survive and were with her when she died.
Surviving are five daughters, Mrs. J. E. Norris of Big Springs, Mrs. W. M. Reynolds of New York, Mrs. G. R. Forester of Athens, Mrs. Artie Parker of Weed, New Mexico and Miss Florine Holley of New York; three sons, John A. Holley of Electria, Jess A. Holley of Hawkins, and J. R. Holley of Olney. In addition to her family, Mrs. Holley reared three grandsons, Sgt. Joe A. Ledbetter, stationed in Wyoming; Technical Corporal W. W. Ledbetter, Camp Bowie, and Johnny Ledbetter, SF 2/c, U. S. N. at sea. Twenty-one other grandchildren survive, among them Cpl. Jack Reynolds, somewhere in France; Staff Sergeant Weldon Reynolds, in England and G. R. Forester, MM 1/c, U. S. N. in the South Pacific."
Their children and their spouses are also buried here (some died as recently as 2005), which explains why he has some new flowers on his grave.