Historic Cemetery Extreme Makeover

My great-great-great-great grandparents were John and Elizabeth Stalvey, who were some of the earliest settlers in what would become Homerville, Georgia. They were among the Wiregrass pioneers and settled in this area in the 1820s. In 1846, Elizabeth Stalvey was the first to be buried on this land near "Headlight" followed by my 4th great-grandfather John in 1856. Their son, Benjamin, is my 3rd great-grandfather and was buried here in 1890. Several other Stalvey descendants and eventually Hilliard ancestors were buried here. It was eventually named the Stalvey-Hilliard Cemetery.

Many relatives and community volunteers have cleaned and raked the cemetery from time to time. Unfortunately, in recent years it became quite neglected. My father, Dolphus Stalvey, took a special renewed interest in this place about three years ago. He and others had maintained it in the 80s. It was his dream to see it receive the makeover that it deserved. He wanted to honor not only our ancestors but Clinch County's history as well. His dream became bigger than his budget but he would not stop.

Out of his own pocket, he began the project and it became a labor of love. He had lots of help along the way. But the financial burden was his to carry. The project was completed just before Christmas in 2022 but not before he spent nearly $4,000 on supplies.

If he never receives a penny of reimbursement he will be okay. He did not do this to be reimbursed. But when I saw how much he put into this project, I just knew this loving community would want to play a small part in knowing they made it happen. That is the purpose of this page.

If you can give and feel compelled to give, this is the place to do that. Anything collected above the goal will go into ongoing maintenance. Even if you cannot give, a simple "thank you" to my dad when you see him around town will go a long way.

Marked Graves (Listed in order of burial)

Learn more at StalveyHistory.com.