Forest Hill Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee)

Forest Hill Cemetery is a cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. It consists of three separate cemeteries: Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown, Forest Hill Cemetery East and Forest Hill Cemetery South.

Forest Hill Cemetery
Sign of Forest Hill Cemetery East, Whitten Road
Details
Established	1888
Location	1661 Elvis Presley Blvd. Memphis, Tennessee
Country	United States
Coordinates	35°05′53″N 90°01′20″W / 35.09799254°N 90.02215424°W / 35.09799254; -90.02215424
Owned by	StoneMor
Website	https://www.foresthillfh.com/

History

Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown was established in 1888 and chartered in 1892. As of 1906, the cemetery comprised 180 acres and there were 1,300 interments.^[1][2]

A second location, Forest Hill Cemetery East, was established in 1961. A third location, Forest Hill Cemetery South, was established in 1962.^[1] The cemeteries are owned by Pennsylvania based StoneMor.^[3]

In 2021, WREG-TV investigated fines placed in 2020 and 2021 by the state against the cemeteries. The cemeteries received complaints and ten fines for poor maintenance, management and rodent infestation.^[3][4] The rodent infestation problem took place at the body preparation building from June 2020 to March 2021 at the Forest Hill Cemetery East location.^[5] There has been notable damage to memorials, including the memorials of John R. Brinkley and the Elks Rest monument.^[6]

The cemetery has various monuments, including one to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.^[7]

Notable burials

 

Memorial of John R. Brinkley at Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown (in 2011)

 

Grave of William Robert Moore at Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown

• Estelle Axton (1918–2004), record executive and co-founder of Stax Records^[8]
• Packy Axton (1941–1974), American musician^[9]
• Bill Black (1926–1965), American bassist who worked with Elvis Presley^[10]
• James Blackwood (1919–2002), American gospel singer^[11]
• John R. Brinkley (1885–1945), charlatan physician and radio pioneer^[12]
• Christopher Byers (died 1993), victim of the West Memphis Three^[13]
• Walter Chandler (1887–1967), U.S. Representative from Tennessee and mayor of Memphis^[14]
• Clifford Davis (1897–1970), U.S. Representative from Tennessee^[15]
• Charlie Feathers (1932–1998), American musician^[16]
• Frank P. Gates (1895–1975), Mississippi architect^[17]
• John E. McCall (1859–1920), U.S. Representative from Tennessee and judge^[18]
• William Robert Moore (1830–1909), U.S. Representative from Tennessee and college founder^[19]
• Phoebe Omlie (1902–1975), American aviation pioneer^[20]
• Josiah Patterson (1837–1904), officer in Confederate States Army and U.S. Representative from Tennessee^[21]
• Malcolm R. Patterson (1861–1935), U.S. Representative from Tennessee and governor of Tennessee^[22]
• Margaret Polk (1922–1990), namesake of Memphis Belle^[23]
• Elvis Presley (1935–1977), American rock and roll artist and actor (his body was moved to Graceland shortly after burial)^[24]
• Frank Trimble (1840–1915), merchant and real estate businessman^[25]
• Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), founder of the Holiday Inn hotel chain^[26]
• Luke Edward Wright (1846–1922), Governor-General of the Philippines and U.S. Secretary of War^[27]

See also

• List of cemeteries in Tennessee

References

1. "Forest Hill Cemetery – Our Cemeteries". foresthillfh.com. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
2. The South Western Reporter. Vol. 94. West Publishing Company. 1906. pp. 69–70. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
3. Jacobson, Shirley (May 7, 2021). "Troubled Memphis area cemetery addresses complaints, promises to clean up". WREG-TV. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
4. Jacobson, Shirley (August 26, 2021). "Has Forest Hill cemetery cleaned up its act as promised? The Problem Solvers check". WREG-TV. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
5. Jacobsen, Shirley (July 9, 2021). "Troubled Memphis cemetery cited for rats causing harm to bodies waiting for preparation". WREG-TV. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
6. Lauderdale, Vance (July 31, 2019). "Grave Stone Robberies in Memphis Cemeteries". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
7. Lauderdale, Vance (March 14, 2019). "Ask Vance: Elks Rest". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
8. "Services are Friday for Stax co-founder Estelle Axton". The Commercial Appeal. February 26, 2004. p. 15. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
9. "Charles E. Axton". The Commercial Appeal. January 22, 1974. p. 4. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
10. "Bill Black, of Combo Fame, Dies at 39". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. October 21, 1965. p. 33. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
11. "James Blackwood, 'Mr. Gospel Music', dies at 82". The Commercial Appeal. February 4, 2002. p. 3. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
12. Lauderdale, Vance (October 1, 2013). "The Goat Gland Doctor". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
13. "Police see progress in Ark. murder inquiry". The Commercial Appeal. May 11, 1993. p. B1. Retrieved October 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
14. "Chandler, Walter". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
15. "Davis, Clifford". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
16. Amos, Edward (2015). Gravesites of Southern Musicians. p. 59. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
17. "Frank Gates Dies Here; Rites Today". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. January 3, 1975. p. 7. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
18. "McCall, John Ethridge". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
19. "Moore, William Robert". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
20. Lauderdale, Vance (July 2, 2019). "Phoebe and Vernon Omlie's Graves in Memphis". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
21. "Patterson, Josiah". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
22. "Services Held for Patterson". The Chattanooga News. March 11, 1935. p. 2. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
23. "Margaret Polk, Memphis belle". The Jackson Sun. April 7, 1990. p. 4A. Retrieved October 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 
24. Locker, Melissa (May 30, 2012). "Elvis Presley's Crypt Going Up for Auction". Time. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
25. Lauderdale, Vance (October 11, 2010). "The Trimble Monument in Forest Hill Cemetery". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
26. Lauderdale, Vance (August 21, 2019). "The Distinctive Tombstone of Kemmons Wilson". Memphis Magazine. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
27. "Wright Funeral Today". The Baltimore Sun. November 19, 1922. p. 10. Retrieved October 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. 

External links

• Forest Hill Cemetery

External links

  Media related to Forest Hill Cemetery Midtown (Memphis, Tennessee) at Wikimedia Commons
  Media related to Forest Hill Cemetery East (Memphis, Tennessee) at Wikimedia Commons
  Media related to Forest Hill Cemetery South (Memphis, Tennessee) at Wikimedia Commons